Sydney, June 28 : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s proposal for an Asia-Pacific community will be endorsed and supported only if it champions democracy, Republican presidential nominee John McCain has said.
Experts say that McCain’s views on the issue have the potential of exacerbating tensions between the United States and Communist-led China.
Senator McCain's lead adviser on Asia, Mike Green, said that while the Republican nominee supports the concept, "it's a mistake to set up something like this and give a 'pass' on democracy".