Members of the People's Liberation Army stand as an unmanned maritime WR 2 passes by during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File

CANBERRA, Australia – China has become more aggressive in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the South Pacific and beyond with its accelerating military buildup and acquisition of larger fleets of ships and submarines, according to two Australian government officials, who warned that Beijing would highly likely pursue more land reclamations in disputed areas.

Like-minded states should strengthen security partnerships to deter aggressive actions and ensure a free, open and rules-based order in the region, said the two senior Australian officials, who spoke on background. All countries “must ensure that militaries act in a safer, professional manner because that's what keeps us all safe,” they said.

“Over the last decade, we've seen a rapid expansion in the People's Liberation Army's capabilities and also the deployment of those capabilities not just across China's maritime borders into the South China Sea but now also beyond and even globally, by and large, because the PLA’s got bigger,” one of the two officials said, referring to China’s huge military.

The Australian officials spoke to a group of journalists from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, including from GMA News