CCP mouthpiece Huanqiu Times published an article by Chen Hong, Director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University, calling Australia to stop following the U.S. to deter China. The following are key points from the article:
“After the U.S. announced a review of the AUKUS project, Australian Prime Minister Albanese tried to address the issue at the G7 summit but was ignored. This once again reveals the U.S.’s self-serving foreign policy. In AUKUS, the U.S. controls the wheel, and Australia is just a passenger.
“Many Australians are now realizing that the 368 billion Australian Dollar investment in AUKUS is a gamble and may only make Australia a disposable piece on America’s strategic chessboard.
“Australia’s dilemma comes from blindly following the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and lacking independent defense planning. In the past, Australia balanced its U.S. alliance with regional economic engagement, especially benefiting from ties with China. But since 2017, it has fully tied itself to the U.S.
“Now Australia faces a choice: continue as a “cash machine” for the U.S. military or become a stabilizing force in the Asia-Pacific. Australia needs an independent security strategy based on its own interests – not America’s – or it risks blindly walking toward disaster.”
Source: Huanqiu Times, June 19, 2025
https://m.huanqiu.com/article/4NAA14feSPl