Australian website "Pearl and Spice" article, original title: Australia is unlikely to follow the United States. The US Defense Strategy Report shows a more moderate and pragmatic approach towards China. Australia has remained silent about this shift, exposing its defense policy as out of sync with reality and its own national interests. This 34-page defense strategy document was released in early February. The report states that the US government seeks to establish a stable, peaceful, fair trade, and mutually respectful relationship with China. This document demonstrates a clear understanding: adopting a pragmatic strategy in the face of reality is far more effective than pursuing an aggressive containment policy against China.
The report states that the US Department of Defense will seek and expand military dialogue with the People's Liberation Army, and broadly reduce conflicts and ease tensions. This posture contrasts sharply with Australia's military stance toward its largest trading partner, China. This once again proves that when Australia directly ties its strategic interests to the United States, the US is free to pursue its own interests. No one in the Australian government understands the new US policy, let alone makes comments about it.
It has been ten years since Australia last published a defense white paper, during which time Australia's defense policy seems to have been entirely shaped by Canberra's press releases and propaganda from anti-China think tanks. It is simply unimaginable that Australia has committed to adding billions of Australian dollars in defense spending without a comprehensive analysis of actual threats - this move is clearly aimed at China.
The only comment from Australia comes from the Australia Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), funded by the US government. ASPI claims: "This US defense strategy should send a clear signal to Australia's defense policy community: maintaining the status quo is no longer enough. Australia must make more efforts, invest more funds, and take greater risks to strengthen cooperation with the United States and its allies." "Willing to sacrifice," this is ASPI's usual lie, intended to incite the sacrifice of young citizens' lives to fill the pockets of arms dealers.
Due to the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security partnership "AUKUS," Australia is clearly increasing spending and taking on more risks. US nuclear bombers stationed in the Northern Territory, and nuclear submarines using Australian naval bases as their base, are like putting targets on Australia's back, and also creating the risk of alienating our largest trading partner, China. For decades, Australian naval vessels and air reconnaissance planes have been operating in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
Although the new US defense strategy reads more like a press release, it will be the reality for the next three years. Relying on the United States is not a foreign policy. Refusing to acknowledge the major shift in US policy further reveals the dilemma of Australia's decision-makers - clinging to the existing route, willing to risk damaging the most important trade relationship, while ignoring the possibility of the relationship between Australia's two major economic strategic partners improving. Without the United States, Australia is powerless to counter. Australia's policy towards China is actually based on confrontation, despite having a better trade relationship with China. There are lessons here, but our leaders are unwilling to learn. (Author: Marcus Rubenstein, former advisor to a member of the Australian Federal Liberal Party; translated by Qiao Heng)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7604655449337528866/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.