The flaw in Australia’s ‘China threat’ thesis

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?Edwards, a former senior economic adviser to former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, makes the observation in a Lowy Institute paper released in October and in a newspaper interview.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.