Last Post: Think beyond China visit and increase defence spend

No, stop it (“Unswerving, unnerving Xi”, 16/7). If we all swallow Xi Jinping’s big lie and call Taiwan a territory – part of China – President Xi has conquered this democratic country without a shot fired.

Allan Gardyne, Coolangatta, Qld

In 60 years we have gone from “All the way with LBJ” to what sounds a lot like “We’re here to agree with Chairman Xi”. The first was bad enough, but the second is embarrassing.

Burt Bosma, Surrey Hills, Vic

In dealing with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, Anthony Albanese would do well to keep in mind Vladimir Lenin’s view on international relations: “The capitalists will compete to sell us the rope with which we hang them.”

Tony Warton, Greenwood, WA

There’s so much certainty in “We will co-operate where we can, disagree where we must” that our Prime Minister must be up there with the likes of Winston Churchill. Unforgettable.

Gordon Thurlow, Mooloolah Valley, Qld

Anthony Albanese keeps talking about being very clear on many of his government’s policies. Now, I have 20:20 vision but what I can see is pretty blurred.

Ed Turner, Sinnamon Park, Qld

Great Hall, Great Wall: all we are lacking is a great PM.

Geoff O’Brien, Eltham, Vic

Albanese’s meeting with Xi shows how urgently we need to raise our spending on defence to a minimum 3.5 per cent.

Alexander Haege, Tamarama, NSW

Apart from land size, we are a small country as far as reputation goes, and getting smaller.

Roseanne Schneider, Toowoomba, Qld

After all this time and all this carnage over Ukraine, why another 50 days (“Best chance of Ukraine ceasefire”, 16/7)?

Stephen Lusher, Port Macquarie, NSW

Energy-guzzling artificial intelligence and data centres are on a collision course with net zero. No bets taken on what will win.

Peter M. Wargent, Mosman, NSW

Will Swanton’s entertaining report card on Australia’s West Indies tour (“Zeroes, heroes, hacks and a hat-trick”, 16/7) failed to mention one major factor, which was exacerbating for the bowlers and mitigating for the batters, the state of the pitches (especially in Kingston), which would have rated a score of no better than -5/10.

Jim Taylor, Brisbane