Earlier quoted context omitted.
I live in Darwin. when I moved here last century, NSA were already well established, there were bi-annual R&R USA ship visits, and annual joint airforce training. The USA started to develop a USMC base in 2012 At the time we were instructed that they co-locate and personnel rotate, so you can't call it a base. not a base. definitely not a base. They began permanently locating USAF assets at our airport a coupla years…
I'm actually aware of (some of) the basing in Darwin. Didn't a military-connected Chinese organization acquire a port there also, maybe back when the US Marines started building? I'm afraid that, given Darwin's location, allied military activity is going to be 'big business'. But the stanadard argument is that China has shown they are going to be aggressive, and that the alliances are much better than facing China al…
my perspective is that it is a great indignity to host foreign war bases during peace time. But if they are here, even to visit, then I want better protections against the reality of crimes committed by visiting service personnel; and I want to close the loopholes allowing the USA to bring illegal weapons.