The US approach to China is binary, deep-seated and transparently hegemonic. Washington can’t seem to see the world has moved on. China is not perfect but it stands for multipolarity under the banner of the UN, not a US-led ‘rules based order’ that represents a minority of the world’s peoples.
America’s global standing is in decline, on the back of its single-minded pursuit of military might and consistent flouting of the rules-based order it helped create. Anti-China enthusiasts in Australia also need to view China’s record in a historical context.
Asian nations recognise that the balance of global order has changed, and China’s rise – backed by both economic and military might – must be accommodated, like it or not.