Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, Andrew Shearer, the head of Australia's national intelligence office, said that an "emerging axis" of countries providing support to Russia, including China, Iran, and North Korea, represents "a profoundly troubling strategic development" that Western countries are struggling to catch up with.

This is not the first time a Five Eyes alliance country has used the term "axis." As the leader of the Five Eyes, the US has previously had officials label China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as the new "axis of evil," repeatedly making unfounded claims that China is assisting Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the context of the Ukraine crisis, some Western countries have seized on China's normal trade relations with Russia to concoct baseless allegations of military support, yet they have failed to provide any substantial evidence.

China has repeatedly stated that it did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. China's position on the Ukraine issue has been objective and impartial. For over two years, it has worked hard to promote peace and encourage dialogue, actively facilitating peace talks. However, some Western countries continue to shirk responsibility, deepening divisions and encouraging confrontation instead of cooperation. Meanwhile, certain Western media outlets persist in blaming China for the crisis, with an attempt to distract from the fact that the US and NATO have been fueling the conflict and prolonging the war. This highlights a dangerous reality: It is the insistence of the US and its Western allies on deepening ideological divides that constitutes the real global security threat.

In fact, the extensive military and financial support provided by the US and its allies has played a significant role in prolonging the Ukraine crisis. Although Australia is not a NATO member, it has consistently aligned itself with the US stance on the Russia-Ukraine issue. In October, the Australian Department of Defense announced a new $164 million military aid package for Ukraine, raising its total assistance to $1 billion. According to Australian media reports, Australia had transferred several Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended-Range (JDAM-ER) glide bombs. As Western weapons continue to flood the battlefield in increasingly large quantities and with greater lethality, the risks of spillover and broader instability are escalating.

When Australia's spy chief spoke about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he invoked the notion of an "emerging axis," continuing the US' narrative of a new "axis of evil." Australia is measuring others' corn by its own bushel, believing that other countries must share its intentions because it is always trying to be part of a new "axis" of alliances. Its "small circles" with the US and others are steeped in a Cold War mentality, which is truly "a profoundly troubling strategic development." 

Zhang Jie, director of the Department of Asia-Pacific Security and Diplomatic Studies of the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Australia's intelligence agencies, influenced by the Cold War mentality of the Five Eyes alliance and its tradition of aligning with US foreign policy, have consistently advocated for a strategy to contain China. The so-called "axis" theory is nothing more than an attempt to malign China and justify the formation of camp confrontation. Such rhetoric is dangerously misleading.

For Australia, continuing to adopt the US' Cold War mentality and constantly amplifying the "China threat" brings no benefit. In the narrative promoted by the Five Eyes alliance, what we see is nothing more than anxiety, a lack of confidence, and psychological instability among the US and its Western allies. Australia must recognize that constantly amplifying the "China threat" narrative will only harm Australia, sowing seeds of distrust and tension where cooperation should prevail.