The flaw in Australia’s ‘China threat’ thesis
Instead of adopting Washington’s security priorities, Canberra should leverage superpower rivalry to its own advantage, argues policy veteran John Edwards
Australia’s preparations for a possible conflict with China reflect “a relatively superficial understanding”, argues prominent economist John Edwards. Europe, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia and India, he notes, are not preparing for such a conflict. Why should Australia?
Instead, he sees US-China rivalry as a potential advantage. Sitting between a security partner in Washington and a major economic partner in Beijing can underpin Australian prosperity for 25 years – provided Canberra does not pick sides.
