Iwent to a large military event in Melbourne recently and found the lack of independent thinking about Australia's strategic circumstances somewhat depressing - particularly the view that the US will always be our best friend and China our inevitable adversary.

Recent years have indeed seen China accelerate its military modernisation, expanding capabilities and regional reach. Clearly that trend demands Australia's attention, but it doesn't mean we should necessarily be in lockstep with the US and treat China as our inevitable enemy.

Australia would be better served by preserving a degree of strategic independence, keeping open all lines of engagement, and resisting being drawn into disputes not of our making.

China now has the world's second-largest defence budget. Officially, its

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