The Chinese regime’s mouthpiece, Global Times, has criticised Australia’s decision to increase its national security funding by $1.9 billion over the next 10 years, accusing Canberra of “further escalating regional confrontation,” despite its editor-in-chief repeatedly calling for China to invade Taiwan. The newspaper’s report on Wednesday titled “Canberra’s Defence Spending Means More Economic Carnage,” also accused Australia of “relentless and unreasonable provocations” and warned of retaliation. This comes after Global Times’ editor-in-chief Hu Xijin wrote an op-ed suggesting Beijing target Australia with long-range missiles if it joins the United States in any conflict over Taiwan and also suggested Chinese people be forced to invade Taiwan. Although this is not the first time Hu has spouted off about a conflict over Taiwan, one expert, Joseph Siracusa, adjunct professor of the history of international diplomacy at Curtin University, said the comments should be taken seriously. He noted the Global Times speaks for the leaders of the Chinese …