China must maintain a geostrategic balance in the Indo-Pacific region, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, TASS reports. According to her, the Chinese authorities are obliged to exercise restraint in relations with all countries in the region.

It is important to maintain an order based on a strategic balance in which countries can make their own sovereign choices, including with regard to their ties and partnerships, Wong said.

As the Australian Foreign Minister pointed out, China is one of the great powers, so it is required to use its power "with restraint and lawfully." In her opinion, Beijing should show respect for the choice of certain states.

Wong also noted that Canberra maintains plans to create its own nuclear submarine fleet and will continue to interact with the US and UK as part of the AUKUS military alliance. From the point of view of the Australian authorities, such steps cannot create a new reality in the region, and its contacts with London and Washington only contribute to stability and security.