Regrettably they also possess nuclear weapons and are paranoic enough to use them.

That may be so? But who knows what will turn the mind of a madman or the whim and caprice of that power addicted mind? What will work is if all the commodities mentioned are withheld from China and other markets found.

Markets that just do not include those who use backdoor black markets to get around export bans and sanctions.

We should never ever have been a trading partner of a communist regime to begin with and need to show our united resolve and become far more self sufficient.

If we can't sell grain? Then we can turn it into alcohol and use it as an alternative fuel that replaces imports. And just the start of what we could do if there was the political will? As opposed to the political won't!

We could and should replace iron ore and bauxsite exports with steel and aluminum we could export to the non communist world if we had MSR thorium as the 1 cent PKWH power source for the smelters

. And just the starting point of what is possible if we employ cooperative capitalism and the resources that are ours, including the brains we were born with. Yes a tiny cabal of high flyers will be hurt in the hip pocket.

But a price we should be prepared to pay. As they scream blue murder and pay all sorts of pollies to get these essential decisions reversed!?

Whose economy is it, ours or theirs!?
Alan B.

Ukraine, Taiwan and friends will be outmuscled by the communist giants but I suspect they would be ungovernable if taken over. Maybe half the people in Russia and China won't buy dishonest pretexts for invasion so the ruling elites would have an uphill job to justify an invasion.

A looming development is the imposition of carbon tariffs by the EU27
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/green-taxation-0/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
After a trial run that is supposed to start in 2025. Neither China nor Australia under the LNP will take kindly to carbon tariffs. In China's case it will affect most of their exports and for Australia it will discourage coal and LNG exports. Some kind of diplomatic incident around 2025 would be a handy diversion.

China would be susceptible to blockade but they will have prepared
for such a campaign. They could have combat teams ready to go and
takeover critical choke points.
However the scale of the problem is enormous.
As with the Ukraine a quick resolution with Taiwan would be essential.
The fishing fleet could be disorganised by jamming their communications radios.
Choke points like the Malacca Strait could force their merchant fleet
into onto long delaying alternative routes.
Lots of activity like that could be done without firing a shot.
The banning of exports of selected resources could close whole industries.
Food would be important even if large stockpiles had been implemented.
I am sure they will be watching the effect of bans & tactics used.

Without all the goods that Australia imports from China, Bunnings shelves, Harvey Norman's floors, et al, would become very, very bare.

Thus Australia would also have to bear much pain and cost if China withdrew most of its exports to the world.
Which goes to say, Australia must be much more self-sufficient in manufactured goods than we have been in recent decades.