Hit the spot Alan, It will be educational to see what a Rudd Government will do given Rudd's familiarity with China and support for the US alliance stating his position on Australia's presence in Iraq and further combat troop commitment to Afghanistan.

Yes, I would agree with the argument here. One might also have added that the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse and a source of demand for our mineral resources has played a significant role in recent Australian GDP growth. It is interesting that this has occurred at a time when the US economy is weakening because of the housing sector and under-performing “prime” household lending policies. In effect, the Australian economy is being de-coupled from the US economy. Previously just a sneeze on Wall Street would have caused concern at Treasury. The upshot of this is that Australia can’t, and should not try, to pick sides here. Better a co-operative security regime in Asia and failing that better to balance the two by playing them against each other. The last policy would be one advocated by consistent conservative “realists”.

Alan Dupont's suggestion is akin to making a bully as the class prefect. The reason for Australias prosperity is the economy of demand and supply whereby it has the resources of high quality and so close to its markets. The fact that China is grabbing these resources is important but not central to the fact. It is in Australias strategic interest to hedge a future belligerent China with a more docile India, again a substantial market. After all the Sino-India war Alan mentions was launched by China and not India. Tiananmen Square happened in China not India. It is China spreading its influence in SOuth pacific at the expense of Australia. And importantly a peaceful (sic) China has just sent a strong message by knocking out a satellite with missiles. Surely we cant all be wearing blinders?

America has never been more unpopular in the China region than it is now. The recent rebuke from China to America to stop poking its nose into the affairs of others when its own record is so besmirched was an echo of growing disatisfaction I suspect from other nations as well. Traditional enemy Japan is still regarded warily, and countless television programmes keep the Sino-Japanese wars in the public consciousness.

The fact that Australian troops are still present in the Middle East is regarded more as placatory expediency towards America than a statement of support for American policy. The small number of troops present is seen as indicative of this. Our proximity to Asia rather than Europe/America, our many reciprocal educational, tourist and trading policies, and our lack of agressive or expansionist policies so far ensures we are not counted as America's satellite.

It is inevitable that any step taken by Australia to be seen as siding with America against Chinese interests in Asia would be damaging. It would not be unreasonable on the part of China to regard it as such.

One wonders dispiritedly how far people in Australia are going to let themselves be dragged along in Americas wake against our own interests. We once took pride in our lack of interst in what "the pollies" got up to and dismissed all that with a "She'll be right, mate" insouciance.

The result of that attitude, in recent years, has now become evident even to the most apolitical of citizens. Putting our trust in our elected representatives to work in our best interests has become naive
yet we are still loath to take responsibility upon ourselves.

We, with our geographical placement and our relatively small population are, indeed vulnerable. But if the cost of support from halfway across the globe comes at the price of deliberately alienating all who surround us we are not only increasing our vulnerability but deliberately courting it.

Any old yobbo knows its no good having mates on the other side of town if you are going to pick fights with your next door neighbours.

Adding India to an Australia, Japan and the US alliance may also bring the complexities of India's perpetual cold war and occasional flare ups against Pakistan into the equation. This is potentially to Australia's detriment.

If India were to join and Indian-Pakistani relations deteriorated further Australia could be drawn into a hostile stance towards Pakistan. Perhaps therefore the US intends that a quadrilateral alliance is not only aimed at China but against Muslim and nuclear armed Pakistan.

We could add Pakistan to our list of US initiated entanglements.

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

With over 700 military installations in 130 countries, including powerful bases in Central Asia, the US imperium has carried doctrines of forward defence about as far as one could imagine. China, Russia, India,Iran can hardly ignore the active threat of "containment". Every action provokes a reaction; hostile actions provoke hostile reactions - what the CIA described as "blowback"; when the most power is in the hands of the most aggressive and inconsequential, we should be very afraid.