SeaGypsy wrote:The only deep conflict at a scale that matters in Asia now is Japan vs China. SE Asia has many hundreds of years of dealing with China & Chinese. Don't forget the Khmer Empire was one of the greatest in history & never defeated. There has long been an uneasy balance in Asia, & Japan in its attempt to create one Asia, disturbed & distorted relationships mostly in balance in a way the Chinese never have.
Is this what they teach in the Australian education system? To fear modern Japan, based on old history? Or are these media narratives, in recent decades?
China is about business. Chinese in SE Asia & Oceania, with language skills & contacts are gold here, in a way the Japanese never were. We aren't worried about China, we are having a ball with the investment opportunities shared between us. The Chinese are very good to do business with. What worries Aussies more in our region is probably more about what happens if a hothead gets in control of your Whitehouse & gets into escalating one or other ancient conflicts into a regional war nobody wants.
Well if Australia's worried about that, then what it ought to do is take a break from "having a ball with China" and get more involved in the US allied pacific bloc.
Australia needs agreements with Japan, a lot more military cooperation with Japan and south korea, and everybody work as a team.
If Australia won't do this, then Australia will not have any influence. If Australia were a leader though, in the US allied bloc, then Australia would have INFLUENCE and control on events if things ever DID get heated between Tokyo and Beijing.
By the way, why does China keep hacking everyone's meteorology systems? They did this same thing in the US.
China warns Australia not to follow the USA too much:
Australian and Chinese military officials in 'blunt' exchange on South China SeaAustralian and Chinese officials including Beijing's top army general had a "direct and blunt" exchange over the Asian giant's island-building in the South China Sea this week, Fairfax Media has learnt.
China also cautioned countries including Australia against following the US lead in carrying out "freedom of navigation" exercises near Beijing's artificial islands to signal they do not recognise the territorial claims.
The dialogue between Australia's defence brass and General Fang Fenghui, Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, sparked controversy this week because Defence failed initially to release any statement about the talks or inform the Australian media they were happening.
...
Officials discussed the recent patrol by the US destroyer the Lassen and Australia's support for that patrol, which was Washington's way to signal to Beijing that it has no territorial claim over waters surrounding the islands.
Australia and other countries such as Japan are weighing whether to reinforce Washington's gesture by carrying out their own patrols close to the islands....
Australia also stressed the importance of continuing US presence in the Asia region.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-and-chinese-military-officials-in-blunt-exchange-on-south-china-sea-20151202-gldv77.html
China’s puzzling defence agreement with AustraliaThe Australian's editorial reports that a 'robust' exchange took place on the South China Sea. Yet the editors' claim that 'the new engagement should ideally put Australia in a better position to assert a restraining hand on Chinese expansionism in the region' smacks of fantasy. From Beijing's perspective, an agreement to upgrade the defence relationship — however modest —
presents an opportunity to pocket a concession and to drive a wedge between Washington and its closest regional ally, at a time when Canberra is supposedly 'on the same page' in regard to the South China Sea. http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2015/12/07/Chinas-puzzling-defence-agreement-with-Australia.aspx