General Discussions

[capcom]

Meanwhile China have bought off the Solomon islands and now have a security agreement which is a nice cover for a military presence and refuelling depot for their shipping and all close to our backyard.
Bad form from the Solly govt but after cutting ties with Taiwan a few years back hardly surprising they have a new best buddy in the expansionist Chinese.

He'll need a place to hide. 

[Baggers]

Russia could wipe Ukraine off of the map if they wanted to.

Yep, and then Nato/US would wipe Russia off the map, then China and Nth Korea would kill millions (or more) with their nuclear and biological strikes on Europe and the US. And the northern hemisphere becomes uninhabitable. Such a smart critter, the human.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Yep, and then Nato/US would wipe Russia off the map, then China and Nth Korea would kill millions (or more) with their nuclear and biological strikes on Europe and the US. And the northern hemisphere becomes uninhabitable. Such a smart critter, the human.

China would direct a few extra our way as well and there would be fallout in the southern hemisphere.
Putin is a lunatic who would push the button if he had no way out. That's where smart politicians have to find a face saving way to give him a way out which might mean giving him the Donbass region and making new boundaries with a Nth Korea/Sth Korea look to it with NATO troops on the Ukraine side.

[madbluboy]

Yep, and then Nato/US would wipe Russia off the map, then China and Nth Korea would kill millions (or more) with their nuclear and biological strikes on Europe and the US. And the northern hemisphere becomes uninhabitable. Such a smart critter, the human.

Not doing too much to help the Ukraine now.

[Mav]

Meanwhile China have bought off the Solomon islands and now have a security agreement which is a nice cover for a military presence and refuelling depot for their shipping and all close to our backyard.
Bad form from the Solly govt but after cutting ties with Taiwan a few years back hardly surprising they have a new best buddy in the expansionist Chinese.

Morrison is great at sound bites about China but isn't so good at diplomacy and strategy. Did he see the Solomon Islands fiasco coming, and if so did he do anything to head it off? Allowing the Chinese a permanent air carrier positioned on Australia's doorstep doesn't seem to be a great strategic development.

And if he's so concerned about the Chinese threat, why didn't he stop the lease of the Darwin Port to the Chinese? Don't give me the line that the Federal Govt didn't have any role in that deal; if he'd wanted to stop it, he could have made sure it was declared against the national interest or used the Fed Govt's power over a territory to bring it to heel. It seems he's only interested in playing the tough guy by lobbing insults or doing a deal for nuclear submarines in 2038.

[LP]

Did he see the Solomon Islands fiasco coming, and if so did he do anything to head it off?

- The world had noted this coming for a long time, but they were powerless to do anything about it, as it is all about corruption. Western governments get locked up for acting like China, they have no way to compete because the situation has no counter in Western law, and the UN gives all an equal vote with the big economies the power of veto. The situation is setup for abuse by those who are morally defunct.

And if he's so concerned about the Chinese threat, why didn't he stop the lease of the Darwin Port to the Chinese?

- This is certainly a contradiction, they want the money but they wish to retain the perception of sovereignty, does it really exist? The situation has so many parallels to the way the EU works, it seems to be a common failing of western bureaucracy, like an episode of Yes Minister! I suppose you could read it as China funding the procurement of nuclear subs.

Don't give me the line that the Federal Govt didn't have any role in that deal; if he'd wanted to stop it, he could have made sure it was declared against the national interest or used the Fed Govt's power over a territory to bring it to heel. It seems he's only interested in playing the tough guy by lobbing insults or doing a deal for nuclear submarines in 2038.

- The insults are for the general public, the nuclear subs are because the UK and USA have basically stated unless we carry our share of regional policing we cannot expect help. Knowledge is power, and the most influential and powerful aspect of a nuclear submarine is it's ability to sit off the coast of a foreign entity and gather information in virtually complete anonymity.

Personally, I think the subs were the right thing to do, especially now we see what is going on in Ukraine. Australia could have asked the French for a nuclear option but the confidence they would support Australia rather than remain neutral or even become sympathetic to China is pretty low, more than once in recent years France has chosen the East over the West, so we went for the option that brought with it a strengthening of our traditional ally. Of course historically this has always been the game the French play, they walk the fence line waiting to identify the victor before stepping one way or the other.

The idea that it puts us at greater risk is bit absurd, China has no regard for convention and it will roll across allies and the defenceless when it suits it to do so. If you are weak and defenceless China will step on you like a child steps on an ant, old world China has very little humanity, it likes to pick on weaker opponents so it runs an operation like Belt and Road.

[capcom]

The "Port of Darwin" deal was and is an absolute disgrace.  Morrison wears the blame for that.

[Mav]

The Solomon Islands Opposition Leader claims he warned Australian officials last year that China was negotiating a military pact which could see a base established on the strategically located Pacific nation.

Former Army intelligence officer and University of New South Wales Professor, Clinton Fernandes, says China is making strong headway in Papua New Guinea just like it has in Solomon Islands.

"The next item on the agenda is the Daru Island area off Papua New Guinea which is going to have a Chinese presence and before too long a pro-China party will win the national elections in Papua New Guinea," he said.

Professor Fernandes said the same factors are in play in Papua New Guinea as in Solomon Islands, where Australian foreign aid is seen as not effective in countering China.

"We also interfere in their politics — when the Solomon Islands wanted to build an undersea internet cable between themselves and Sydney — we insisted which company would get that contract," he said.

"The current Prime Minister of Solomon Islands hasn't forgotten that episode and the same dynamic is in play in Papua New Guinea, when a large part of the aid budget actually comes back in salaries to foreign consultants".

Solomon Islands politician 'extremely disappointed' Australia ignored warnings of China military deal, abc.net.au

The problem is that Australia has been happy to bully the small island states in our neighbourhood in the same way that China bullies us. Let's not forget the way they pleaded with Australia for action on climate change as rising sea levels threatened their very existence, with one leader brought to tears over it. You'd think Morrison could have at least shown a bit of sympathy for their plight. It's not hard to see why our neighbours might think the bully of their bully is their friend.

[capcom]

Solomon Islands politician 'extremely disappointed' Australia ignored warnings of China military deal, abc.net.au
Let's not forget the way they pleaded with Australia for action on climate change as rising sea levels threatened their very existence, with one leader brought to tears over it.

Australia 1.3% of the annual world's emissions ... all replaced by China in a mere 16 days.

[Baggers]

Australia 1.3% of the annual world's emissions ... all replaced by China in a mere 16 days.

I think it's more the principle and intention of support rather than actual %s or stats.