Part 11/13:
The core paradox is laid bare: You cannot effectively defend a country while funding the adversary’s economy and dependence on that adversary’s goods. The government’s approach appears to be more about managing perceptions than establishing a coherent, sustainable strategy. Selling raw materials to China while building up military capabilities resembles trying to patch a sinking ship with duct tape and fireworks.
This has led critics to describe Australia’s foreign policy as "geopolitical incoherence," a fragile balancing act fraught with risks of miscalculation and betrayal. The cozy diplomatic gestures, like visiting pandas, mask a deeper, more troubling reality of strategic vulnerability.