Artificial islands in the South China Sea have given China greater ability to launch attacks on Australia, military analysts have warned.
China's presence in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea could allow stealth bombers to more easily approach Australia undetected and the artificial islands could become a naval "bastion" in the event of a conflict, military analysts have told Fairfax Media.
Australia needs to upgrade its missile defences to protect against the increased possibility of strikes as China continues to modernise its military, former national security adviser Andrew Shearer said.
The report comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrives in China for the G20 summit where he is due to hold talks with President Xi Jinping.
