Australia's intel chief warns of "troubling" Russia-China axis

Australia’s top intelligence official, Andrew Shearer, has warned of a troubling "emerging axis" of countries, including China, Iran, and North Korea, providing crucial support to Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.

Shearer, Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence, called this development "a profoundly troubling strategic development" that Western nations are struggling to address, Caliber.Az reports citing US media.

At the Raisina Downunder conference in Canberra, Shearer emphasized the underestimated strategic impact of the growing alignment between China and Russia, which he described as a central part of this emerging axis.

"The massive provision by China of dual-use assistance to Putin, and economic support and diplomatic support is keeping Putin’s army in the field in Ukraine, killing innocent Ukrainians just as surely as if they were providing artillery ammunition and missiles," Shearer stated.

In addition to China’s support, Shearer also pointed out that Iran had been supplying drones to Russia, while North Korea had provided missiles and even combat troops. Shearer referenced intelligence from South Korea and the US, which reported that approximately 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia to assist in the war effort.

"This is a profoundly troubling strategic development, and we are all grappling to catch up with it and put in place effective measures," Shearer said. "But I think this is one of the strategic challenges of our time."

Shearer’s remarks underscore the growing concern among Western intelligence agencies regarding the deepening ties between Russia and its allies.

As the chief intelligence advisor to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Shearer has a central role in coordinating Australia’s efforts to address these challenges.

Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership with the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

In May, Russia and China announced plans to deepen their defence cooperation, which included expanding military exercises and conducting joint sea and air patrols on a regular basis. A Kremlin communiqué confirmed that Moscow and Beijing would "further deepen trust and cooperation in the military sphere, expand the scale of joint exercises and combat training, and conduct joint sea and air patrols on a regular basis."

By Tamilla Hasanova