Just this week China told British MPs they weren't allowed to visit Taiwan. If we give in to China their demands will go from petty to threatening. The nuclear sub named Astute visited WA in 2021. Logically that is a port of call if coming across the Indian Ocean. An east coast port gives quicker access to the Pacific.

Of course Xi Jinping like Putin could be gone before any nuclear sub is available. Then again there could be an incident in the South China Sea. I think we're obliged to keep up the pressure though I suspect we'll end up with just a couple of leased subs.

Remaining neutral is an option is it?

Add up the neutral countries invaded by the Nazis during WW11.

So China building islands & arming in the South China Sea is respecting the Freedom, and Neutrality of south east nations.

Do try to contain your bias Murray

$368b dollars towards opposing our largest trading partner, China. How could this monumental waste of resources go wrong.

As for exposing the secret war with China, the only exposé is the exposure of total fools; make your own choices who they are.

The Wigan people and the Tibetan people know what the great wall of steel is for.

And these folk took a non-violence, passive, neutral position and their reward, enslavement and their human, animal, vegetable and mineral resources plundered.

Only blind fools or the wilfully stupid would fail to see the threat that is posed by the massive military build-up and expansion.

China cannot be threatened. that time has gone. MacArthur wanted to nuke them when that would have prevented their rise and rise to where they are today. A threat to democracy and all freedom loving peoples!

I say yes to the subs and to a nuclear-powered Australia. As we need the latter to ensure we have the industrial muscle that is also an absolute essential for a robust defence! Something a gormless labor won't do. Like one can be halve pregnant?

The sycophantic Chinese butt lickers can please themselves. One can fight for freedom on the feet or on their knees begging for it.
Alan B.

Experts with not a clue dabbling at huge cost in things they'll never understand & will keep on making things worse than they would ever be if left to normal practical & logical thinking people ! i.e. no Academics !

Who needs littlies like Malaysia and Indonesia when Albo can be photo-opportunitied with the Big Boys of the UK, and better still, the US of A.

And all we pay is $368 Billion for the privilege.

AND we get to pay Double = the purchase price of 3 Used Virginias + a multi-$Billion supplement for the needy US submarine industry.

All the Go with Uncle Joe!...Taiwan.

Better than "All the Way with LBJ". Worked so well last time...Vietnam.

Here's a small taste of the multi-$Billion supplement for the needy US and UK submarine industries:

"Australian taxpayers may end up spending more than the $3bn initially announced to boost the submarine industrial capacity of the US and the UK under the Aukus deal, a minister has revealed.

The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, confirmed there was “scope for additional funding” beyond the first four-year budget period, with the exact amount to depend on negotiations with the two countries."

See the Guardian, 23 March 2023 http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/21/australias-3bn-aukus-bill-to-boost-us-and-uk-industry-may-go-even-higher