A century-old alliance with the United States brought bankable security guarantees, while mineral exports to China ensured 28 recession-free years at home. So far the response from Canberra has been cautious: trying to preserve the alliance with the United States while trading with the world’s rising economic power. Historical documents show defence analysts did not believe Australia would be targeted even in a serious nuclear conflagration between the United States and the Soviet Union. And two regions inside Australia’s sphere of interest have become geopolitical hotspots — the South China Sea and the South Pacific. Australian warships and aircraft routinely patrol through the South China Sea, much of which is claimed by Beijing.

Source: Manila Bulletin July 08, 2019 03:11 UTC