Dependent on China, Australia is still trying to cope

Australia has no hesitation in supporting the efforts of the United States and its allies to combat the rise of China, despite the fact that it is its leading economic partner. This de facto dependence limits Canberra's strategic room for manoeuvre.

International relations are always a matter of nuance and ambiguity. The Australian government’s relations with Beijing are no exception to this rule. Indeed, for Australia, China is a rival military power but a leading economic partner. Caught between its allegiance to the Western alliance—which is hostile to Chinese expansion—and its economic dependence on Beijing, Canberra must demonstrate remarkable strategic flexibility at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region, where it is located and where the future of the world is already being decided.

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