The Communist Chinese government “condemns” anything and anyone who doesn't pander to it. It's good to see that a publisher had the guts to handle Clive Hamilton's book, which is available on Google Books for a mere $13 dollars. China is doing its level best to force Australia into breaking away from America, and snuggling up to them; the Turnbull government is too naïve to see that. America has an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea (or it did recently) with flights of F14s regularly patrolling the area to reinforce the right to free passage in international (not Chinese) waters. Toe-rage Turnbull has neither the gumption nor the guts to make a similar representation, despite polite requests from America to do our bit to protect ourselves and our region. Why on earth would Trump make concessions to Australia on the matter of trade tariffs? Particularly after China's 99 year lease of a strategic port like Darwin.

I was amazed to read that the US navy wants to “turn Darwin into a security hub', given that the place is virtually owned by a hostile (and the Chinese are hostile) Communist power. Our drop kick government ignored the protest from the Obama (yes Obama!) government about the stupidity of the cowboy NT government. However, I see that the federal government will enable the US to step up operations in Darwin and that might go some way to putting the Chinese on notice. You might control the port, but we have muscle there. And US muscle is needed, because Australia is too weak to protect itself.

And what about the universities? How much are those greedy institutions gobbling up from China? What are they doing to curb the bullying of planted Chinese students? Nothing, would be close to the mark. The Chinese think that they can buy anything if bullying doesn't work. Here again, our numb-nuts government just sits back and takes the money.

We should not be dealing with such an 'evil empire'. Read the book.

A lot of truth in this balanced thoughtful and respectful article Peter.

We Aussies have rarely been afraid to call a spade and spade and being upfront with friends!

Because your real friends need to know what you really think or want! Not the forked tongue of the brown nosing Sycophant, out for all he can get from anybody.

There's a lot wrong with our present relationship with an expansionist China and its new Leader, who somehow reminds me of Stalin, when he Stalin still needed the west, Peter!

I could say more on this, but I think it would be as pointless as expecting a frog to jump from slowly warmed/brought to the boil, water while there was still time!

And sort of reminisant of our current crop of she'll be right, sycophantic pollyanna pollies?
Alan B.

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Imagine how much tolerance there will be for gays, lesbians, women rights, Aborigines and multiculturalism when the Chinese take charge

Dear Waverley,

«Imagine how much tolerance there will be for gays, lesbians, women rights, Aborigines and multiculturalism when the Chinese take charge»

But they won't, because when push comes to shove we will fight the good fight, together with all the above.

However, we cannot trust or rely on America either, they are no good, so we must speedily develop our own nukes and of course make sure that we produce our own food and all other basics so we can do it alone.

You are joking aren't you Yuyutsu?

If there is any fighting, or even heavy lifting to do, it will be the normal white males & a few of the girls doing it.

The rest will be sitting on their butts, avoiding anything hard, & demanding they are taken care of as usual.