Walking Trump-Xi tightrope, PM sends mixed messages

Paul Kelly sounds a timely warning about the risks we are taking with our all-important US alliance, as Anthony Albanese doggedly refuses to commit to the increase in defence spending that the US says we need (“Political blunders risk endangering Aus-US alliance”, 16/7).

As Kelly argues, the danger is that the Canberra-Washington standoff could well worsen, as Albanese remains “obsessed about the political optics of appearing to concede to Trump”.

Surely there are more important considerations at stake here than Albanese’s self-esteem and ideological loyalties. One can only hope that once Albanese escapes President Xi’s charms, he will come to his senses and commit to a defence budget for the times.

Peter Austin, Mt Victoria, NSW

Paul Kelly observes that “policy blunders risk endangering our alliance with the US”, querying if stupidity as well as strategy is also driving it.

Even the disengaged voting public, however, always gets that “it’s the economy, stupid”. We can’t afford the 3 per cent GDP on defence while we continue to waste a huge amount on futile net-zero goals divorced from reality.

Is it stupidity, or insanity as divorced from reality? Time to pick and correct.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

Greg Sheridan finishes his opinion piece with the conclusion that nothing of substance will come of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meetings with Xi Jinping and the officials of the PRC (“PM’s defence fail leads to impossible Taiwan question”, 15/7).

We owe, to a large extent, our prosperous living standards to our trading partner, and these visits show a mutual respect. The PM reflected on China’s changing growth towards being a dominant force in the world’s economy, now backed by a modern and committed military machine.

America, on the other hand, is now led by a leader who is more like a brand in search of a product. “Make America great again” is a product of the extreme right of capitalism. “America first” means that they are consumed by profit and wealth and they will not put their own cities and infrastructure in harm’s way.

Countries like Australia with spying facilities would probably be collateral damage before New York or Los Angeles. War has never been so easily fought from afar. Missiles and drones are a part of the random destruction seen daily on our TV screens.

Phillip M. Parsonson, Cheltenham, Vic

President Xi’s dismissive response to Anthony Albanese’s complaint about China’s unannounced live-firing of weaponry in the Tasman Sea that disrupted airline flights between New Zealand and Australia was to be expected. The dictator treated Albanese like a diplomatic toy.

Dennis Walker, North Melbourne, Vic

It appears that our Prime Minister hasn’t yet realised that he is being played by the Chinese, who know that he is on the outer with the US President.

This is a global political own goal by Anthony Albanese, who is stridently trying to be important but whose muddled and mixed messaging has many confused heads shaking in response.

Australia and our most important ally, the US, have enjoyed a long-term political and military partnership, yet our PM seems determined to undermine it by getting into bed with Communist China.

This will not have gone unnoticed by our traditional allies and their responses will not be beneficial to our nation. Albanese does not have a mandate to destroy the hard-fought and time-honoured ANZUS treaty.

Tom Moylan, Dudley Park, WA

The current meeting of the leaders of Australia and China has produced mixed messages.

By its stated hegemonic ambitions in Asia, one can discern that Chinese foreign policy is now implacable, for its malevolence exhibits a monomania towards its neighbours as Beijing’s bellicose intimidatory actions towards them affirm. Threats against Taiwan are a precursor to global regional instability, which might lead to a ruinous war. As if Ukraine, Gaza and Iran aren’t enough to mediate.

China has given our PM a fitness report: if you sign up with our agenda, then you will all be the better for it.

Mike Fogarty, Weston, ACT