Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles unveiled the country's 2024 National Defense Strategy, which highlights a stronger navy and improved long-range strike capabilities as policy cornerstones going forward, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on April 17. According to the strategy, Australia's military budget will increase by $3.7 billion over the next four years and is projected to reach more than $64.4 billion (AU$100 billion) by 2033, and the strategy overtly references Chinese coercion in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.