USA is China’s biggest market. China is by nature a “trader”. Why would China want to devastate it’s biggest market?
In my opinion, China is more worried about India which it sees as a trading competitor, and I am sure that it would like to gobble up Australia with it’s mineral wealth but it is unlikely to do this whilst we are friends of the USA and the EU.
I agree that China will slowly release the pressure it exercises over it’s population as demands increase, and as this happens China will lose it’s price competitive edge, at least to some extent, and make way for countries like Bangladesh to emerge.
C A White Townsville 08/02/11

A very interesting but disturbing essay.

I feel unsettled with the concept of "US, China, Japan and possibly India acting in concert".

Presumably Australia can only accede to whatever economic or strategic arrangement these countries come to.

The Concert System may mean each power has a Sphere of Influence. Perhaps the US might be happy with the Philippines and Pacific Islands in its sphere. Meanwhile China could agree on Southeast Asia and Australia? Closed door Concert Agreements are a worry to countries like Australia who are probably too weak to be at the negotiating table.

It is also notable that the Concert of Europe was "bookended" by major periods of warfare which resumed in 1914. If a Concert of the Asia-Pacific ends in war does that assign us the role of undefended or barely defendable neutral Belgium?

Pete
Some views on China http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7724