In a War Against China...Where Does Australia Belong?
Canberra has staked its security on AUKUS submarines and American resolve, but its trade dependence on Beijing, exposed geography, and thin defenses tell a more complicated story.
Simon Whistler • July 15, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
If Australia goes to war in the next decade, then it will fight for the future of Taiwan. Like every other staunch US ally in the Indo-Pacific, from Japan to South Korea to the Philippines to Vietnam, Australia is all too aware of the new superpower on its doorstep.
China wields the economic power, the military might, and the geopolitical ambition to threaten the entire region one day if only it can deal with Taiwanese de facto sovereignty.
For Australia, Taiwan is about more than Beijing's pride. The island is a linchpin for regional trade, a vital technological asset, and an expression of the geopolitical world order that Australia wants to be a part of. But if the world were to go to war over the future of Taiwan, where would Australia fit in?
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