Australia’s long-term interests will not be served by signing up to AUKUS.

Signing up to this agreement can only be described as Australia tying itself irrevocably, to a device serving to assist the United States (US), in the defence of its predominancy, against the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Australia’s interests would have been far better served, by sitting back and doing much more serious thinking around the wisdom, or otherwise, of continuing to follow our great friend, the United States, into yet another, potentially disastrous, military involvement.

Australia, now finds itself even more exposed to the real threat of involvement in yet another conflict far from its shores, with the distinct possibility of a military threat in our own “backyard” as a consequence.

The world is experiencing a growing threat to peace in Europe, precipitated by the Russian President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The aggressive rise of the PRC, having reached military and economic equality, closer to that of the US, is also flexing its considerable muscle against Taiwan, while exerting economic pressure, and influence, accompanied by an implied threat of more, over Australia and Island communities across the Pacific.

Experiencing the possibilities of imminent danger, last felt during a then rampaging imperial Japanese onslaught in the early 1940s, we Australians, find ourselves being torn between our long-term ‘comrade in arms’ and, hoped for protector and “mate”, the US, and the US’s main contender, the PRC.

As published in the South China Morning Post, this cartoon may well be categorised, by some, as just pure PR Chinese propaganda? Well, maybe it is. We Australians, however, would be well advised to carefully think through its implications, and, how they affect our preferred position — that of a ‘middle-sized’ power of influence in the Asia/Pacific region. The new Australian government needs also to carefully consider the distinct possibility of future military conflict erupting…