Nobody should be still listening to out-of-power crackpots like Keating and Rudd. Those two are well and truly off their trolleys. Only people benefiting from China would utter the rubbish they do.

"First, end the silly claim that Australia is part of Asia, and accept that we inhabit a different continent, that we have a different culture, and that our liberal democratic values are integral to enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world."

That really needed saying. The rot that we are part of Asia has always been ridiculous. What's next? Antarctica?

An excellent article. The sooner we shed China the better. We should not be guided by people who need China to satisfy their own greed or vile ideology - or, their idiocy.

Keating is correct. We should indeed << ''cut the tag'' with United States' foreign policy and seek a better relationship with China. >>
China's assertiveness toward the US and its deputy sheriff in the Asian region, Australia, is nothing more than entirely reasonable push-back in the face of the military incursions, trade sanctions and political interference the US has imposed on China for over a decade now. We need to stop toadying up the US and independently restore our once cooperative and respectful trading relationship with China. Neither the US or Australia is in a position to point the finger at China for human rights abuses. We have plenty of our own. And while both our governments ignore the ever-expanding wealth disparities tearing at the fabric of our democratic societies, China has very deliberately set about lifting many millions of its citizens out of poverty and is succeeding.

Bronwyn,

I thought Foul-Mouth aka Guangzhou Joe, Foxy aka the Beijing Butterfly and david f were ultra Chinese supporters but my God you leave them for dead.

You definitely deserve a codename: The Shanghai Serpent.

North Korea is becoming disillusioned with China, and is even offering to help the West contain the bully as long as their nuclear arsenal is accepted, and the West helps with aid to improve its economy.

ttbn,

Only for the most gullible.

Don't trust the North Koreans as far as you can throw them.

Yes and not the only sleepwalking toward our own demise as an independent sovereign nation, frog in bowl mistake we've made!

The other a self-imposed irrational decision to abandon all nuclear technology, including nuclear power. As we dismantled as much cooperative capitalism as we could along with a formerly robust manufacturing sector! All done to achieve an insane political outcome and half a dozen seats?

As a nation with a few nuclear-powered subs equipped with retaliatory nuclear missiles, we'd be able to chart our own course without selling our soul, for a few dollars more, to China! TBC.
Alan B.