Shrugging off the Communist Chinese recent naval aggression around our country “cost the Australian public a chance to understand the risks”.

(https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/chinese-warships-australians-never-got-debate)

And, this matters because, as the author of the above article says diplomatically, Australia's security interests are “not aligned” with those of Communist China, whose ships came within 5-7 nautical miles from our Exclusive Economic Zone.

What could be surprising to many of us is that Chinese vessels are entitled to (under those ‘international laws’) enter our EEZ, and even conduct exercises there, including gunnery exercises.

But, our EEZ is not a “transit corridor”, and it is not analogous to the Taiwan Strait or the EEZ zones of SE Asia. While that doesn't mean that China cannot enter it, Australians “should pay explicit attention to why it would want to operate here.

Each demonstration of power (there were two) was the CCP sending a signal to Australia and the neighbourhood. China can reach and sustain operations in our region. The author doesn't think the exercises were a threat; but they “were not trivial” - as Albanese, lacking interest in defence and foreign affairs, acted as though they were.

We no longer enjoy the protection of distance from major conflicts. We are dependent on sea lanes and maritime trade. China is reminding us of that. Is Canberra listening? The Albanese government's “underwhelming” interest in defence suggests not.

Australians are owed an explanation as to what could happen, and how they could handle it as civilians in a country that has never had war come to it in the past. Apart from Darwin over 80 years ago.

Albanese shrugged off our new vulnerability, smirking, even giggling about how ‘everyone does it’.

Australia was unprepared for war when WW2 broke out. Then we had the advantage of the action being far away. Not any more.

Australians need to know the risks we all face (not just soldiers) if the country is attacked. Everywhere in Australia is now potentially dangerous for civilians.

China acts provocative towards us when we act provocative towards them.
China doesn't need to attack or invade anyone, they will win without having to fire a shot anyway, their electricity is a third of the price of the West, they get discounted oil, control supply chains and they are a global manufacturing powerhouse introducing AI industrial efficiency, AND they produce far more STEM graduates, it's inevitable.
The world needs China more than China needs any one nation.

All this talk does is play into defense procurement, to attempt to make us ready to fight a war we could never win, so unless you wish to obtain a nuclear bomb and real soverignty, just stop.

The old world is gone.
The U.S. cannot defend us anymore than they can defend Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel or anywhere else.
Stop living in the past and trying to march us all off a cliff, please.
You are going to end up getting everyone killed with you war driven fearmongering.
It's time to accept the new realities.

Hi AC,

A good critique of the real world situation. We certainly don't want a war with China, or with any other nation for that matter, it would be disastrous for Australia. Unfortunately some people are detached from reality and are living in the past, thinking a modern war would be fought in the trenches. Our best weapons are diplomacy, and the development of good relationships through free trade and cultural exchange. China has lifted itself out of poverty to become an economic super power, without having to fire a single shot.

China is expected to contribute 26.6% of global real GDP growth in 2026, the highest of any country, followed by India at 17%. With an annual growth rate of 5.5% compared to the US 2%, Australia doesn't even rate.

I should hope that Australia doesn't want to go to war with China. However, that doesn't mean that China doesn't want to go to war with Australia and other countries in the region. Xi has openly told China to prepare for war against Taiwan.

Things could very well be “disastrous ” for Australia when that happens.

In my 83rd year, I am unlikely to be affected; but the two idiots who jump in to howl me down for my opinions might very well be in for a shock, as will all Australians too young to have been taught history, and what could happen to them as citizens under siege, or just having imports they need cut off - not just from China, but by China.

50 or so million civilians were killed in WW2 with weapons downright primitive compared with those available today. Australia was remote from it all; not now. Distance and troops sent overseas won't protect us from China - as they have clearly shown us.

However, these days my posts attract only idiots, so I'm not bothering any more. All the other “old farts” have disappeared from the site, and it's time for me to go as well.

Talking about China as if they were a challenger is stupid. China is all but bankrupt and in ruins. They are stuffed and unable to come out of it.
China and US have been at war for the last 12 months. China will fall along with Iran, Russia and Cuba. They are all self destructing from the inside. Chinas biggest income is by scams. Communism has never worked.

"I should hope that Australia doesn't want to go to war with China."
- If we sent troops abroad to fight China, I wouldn't put much hope in many of them coming back.

"However, that doesn't mean that China doesn't want to go to war with Australia and other countries in the region."
- What if they did, what then?

We lose 200,000 Aussies and capitulate within a month or so anyway with several hundred billion in debt attempting to mount an inadequete defence with weapons not fit to task and spread to thin we couldn't prevent an invasion anyway?

"Xi has openly told China to prepare for war against Taiwan."
- We should stay out of it, encourage both parties to work things out diplomatically, and not add to any conflict.

Best if we just learn to co-exist, embrace their achievements, focus on trade and nation building the best we can.

"...having imports they need cut off - not just from China, but by China."
Exactly, so why do they need to invade us when they already have leverage?
And is it not the Wests own fault, in its own profit-driven ways they exported all the jobs and manufacturing themselves looking for cheaper wages, China's communism also includes central planning, and they actually build and plan for their future, whose fault is it if they are smart enough to focus on and subsidise specific areas and build controlling positions in supply chains when they are focussed on manufacturing, we are the ones who made ourselves reliant upon them in our own demand for cheap products.

How are we going to compete with them when their electricity and wages are a third of the price and manufacturing is so advanced they have factories full of robots.

"50 or so million civilians were killed in WW2 with weapons downright primitive compared with those available today."
- Well lets hope cooler heads prevail and it doesn't come to that ttbn.

Because it would be pointless.