One of Australia’s greatest China friends is on the hustings:
Dr Forrest also said it had been important to get the message across that Australia’s $360bn investment in nuclear-powered submarines was for defensive purposes and would not be used to attack China.
“In meetings with Chinese officials, I have made it really clear that there should not be military animosity between Australia and China.
“There isn’t a snowflake’s chance in hell that China would invade Australia,” he said.
“Our massive investment in submarines is for peaceful defence purposes only and will not be used to attack another country.”
Hmmm, well, China already invaded Australia and was fought back at the combined fronts of diplomacy, trade coercion, and democratic integrity. There’s more than one form of warfare.
I wonder if Dr Forrest actually believes this about AUKUS. Is he in denial or just smoothing business relations while he can? Given Albo’s idiots do not seem to understand what they have signed up for, it may be the former.
AUKUS exists for only one purpose: force integration with the US. This is the direct result of the soft power war that China just lost in Australia. Whether AUKUS ends in an attack on China is beside the point.
Again, there are many ways to attack a nation short of kinetic action. By shifting Australian strategic policy deeper inside the American sphere of influence, the AUKUS subs are a guarantee that Australia will join with the US in any and all China action, including trade sanctions.
The terrible irony for Dr Forrest is that if China continues its hegemonic bullying of Asia/Pacific democracies then the subs themselves will ultimately be used to blockade not protect trade routes to China.
Most especially for war-mongering iron ore.
