Defence Minister Richard Marles has held a one-on-one meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Singapore, officially ending a two-year diplomatic freeze between Canberra and Beijing.
Taking place on the sidelines of the Shangri-La security summit, Mr Marles's meeting with General Wei Fenghe marked the first high-level contact with Australia's biggest trading partner since January 2020.
Angered by the Morrison government's call for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, China ceased contact with Canberra, at a political level, and imposed billions of dollars worth of trade strikes on Australian exports.
Mr Marles described the meeting as a "frank and full exchange" in which he raised a number of issues of concern to Australia, including China's recent interception of an Australian air force plane over the South China Sea.
"This was an important meeting between two countries of consequence in the Indo-Pacific meeting," he said.
"It was a critical first step.
Alarm expressed at South China Sea build-up
The meeting was set against a backdrop of increasing aggression by Beijing in the South China Sea.
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday there had been, "an alarming increase in the number of unsafe aerial intercepts and confrontations at sea" by Chinese planes and ships.
General Wei Fenghe rejected his "smearing accusation" and accused the US and unnamed countries of "meddling" in the contested waters and "stirring up trouble".
"Some big power has long practised navigation hegemony on the pretext of freedom of navigation," he told the conference.
"It [US] has flexed the muscles by sending warships and warplanes on a rampage in the South China Sea."
In a co-ordinated pushback against Beijing by Western allies, Mr Marles expressed alarm at China's military build-up and rapid expansion in the region.
"Chinese militarisation of features in the South China Sea needs to be understood for what it is: the intent to deny the legitimacy of its neighbours' claims in this vital international waterway through force," he said.
Those comments were echoed by Canada's Defence Minister, Anita Anand, who expressed concern with China's "increasingly assertive behaviour in the South China Sea".
"We believe China's actions have heightened tensions and undermined the rules-based international order," she said.
The South China Sea is considered one of several potential flashpoints in a region where strategic competition is on the rise.
China says it would fight Taiwanese independence 'at all costs'
On Taiwan, General Wei Fenghe reaffirmed China's long-held position that it seeks a "peaceful reunification" with the island but cautioned Beijing would "crush" any push for Taiwanese independence.
"We will resolutely crush any attempt to pursue Taiwan independence," he told the conference.
"We will fight at all costs. And we will fight to the very end."
Mr Marles's meeting with his Chinese counterpart will be seen as a positive step that could pave the way for more high-level talks between the two countries.
But the Albanese government has previously said it wants Beijing to demonstrate its desire to repair the strained relationship by dropping its trade sanctions against Australia.
“In moving forward, while there is a change in tone, there is absolutely no change in the substance of Australia’s national interest,” Mr Marles said.
