PM must play Trump card and commit to defence alliance

Australians are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of the Albanese government’s current unseemly prostrations before the Chinese leadership and its refusal to say whether Australia would help the US defend Taiwan.

It gives Elbridge Colby and the US congress all they need to scuttle AUKUS, leaving our defence planning in absolute tatters and Australia dangling at the mercy of the Chinese Communist Party.

There is another way. The US could consider offering to continue with AUKUS and the Virginia-class submarines conditional on two things: the weakly worded ANZUS treaty can be replaced with one that includes a rock solid, NATO Article V grade, mutual defence clause and the Australian government commits to upping our defence spending to whatever the US and President Trump’s advisers consider a fair estimate.

With this everybody except the CCP wins. The US is reassured by treaty we will use the Virginia-class subs with them to help defend Taiwan or wherever else the US is attacked, and Australians sleep easier knowing the US will turn up to help defend us should we be attacked. The US gets to sell us more, much-needed, military kit and we get a better prepared and more capable defence force.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government would in the process be obliged to reveal exactly where they stand in relation to China’s military build-up and aggression, what value they place on Australia’s defence alliance with the US and what action, if any, they will take to defend our nation against China.

John Hipper, Millswood, SA

Although Peta Credlin’s article (“Albanese puts Beijing before our US ties”, 17/7) is forgiving towards Anthony Albanese’s foibles, I believe that Australia is in significantly increased danger because of them.

Albanese is thumbing his nose at the US, simply because he has found “mateship” with another regional power, China, to taunt the US and President Donald Trump with. The Prime Minister represents all of Australia, although it seems that his leadership may have prejudiced those in vulnerable positions. If he cannot overcome his personal demons in having to face up to his overwhelming responsibilities, then he should rethink his post as Australia’s chief diplomatic representative. This nation does not need the burden of the long-term, strategic geopolitical risk that he is saddling us with, against any implacable enemy. Deterrence involves strength, power and fortitude, in the company of similarly minded alliances. Albanese has faulted in all areas of creating regional safeguards and security.

Aviva Rothschild, Caulfield North, Vic

Australians may suspect Albo and his team are actively working to render Australia as a vassal state of China, as everything he does diminishes our capability to survive as a sovereign democratic state and that seems to accord with his and most of Labor’s ideology. Is that what we voted for?

Ron Haack, Corlette, NSW

When it comes to the defence of Australia, straddling a barbed-wire fence is not a viable long-term strategy and not a pain-free one, as Anthony Albanese will finally realise. By prioritising short-term trading gains ahead of our long-term friendship and military alliance with the US, we are all lessened in the eyes of the US, and cannot be any longer trusted. Actions, or the lack thereof, have consequences.

What is driving Albanese on his strategy positioning: Is it intent, ignorance or insufficient resources for policymaking? It’s probably a combination of all three.

Brian Barker, Bulimba, Qld

Obviously, our Prime Minister prefers to have more kowtow practice than anything to do with military exercise.

Rather than being present to welcome the representatives of 19 countries participating in the largest military exercise in Australia since World War II, he has left for China to get a pat on the head from his new friend Xi, with some sightseeing thrown in as well. Backbone and leadership at their best? Prime minister John Curtin, who died in 1945 from wartime pressures, would turn in his grave.

Keith O’Dempsey, Clontarf, Qld

“We disagree where we must.” What precisely has Albanese disagreed with China about?

Julie Winzar, Palm Beach, Qld