China is no ally of Australia: report

SMH.com.au


China is no ally of Australia and should be treated like the rival it is.

That's the message from foreign policy expert John Lee in a report published on Thursday.

Dr Lee says decision makers are treating China as if it will be content to grow and work within a US-led world order. But he argues that's misguided.

"China is too big, too proud, and too independent-minded to be `tamed'," Dr Lee says in the paper, published by conservative think tank the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS).

"The idea that the US can manage China is failing, and America, including its allies like Australia, must confront the realities of dealing with Beijing."

China is Australia's largest trading partner.

The report said China wanted to build its power at the expense of the United States and its allies, and aimed to be the dominant player in Asia.

Dr Lee suggested US and Australian decision makers should get ready to compete with China, particularly over strategic issues.

The CIS foreign policy research fellow predicted this would prolong the US dominance of Asia.

His report, The Fantasy of Taming China's Rise, said promoting trade between China and the rest of the world would strengthen the incentives for peace.