In that same interview, Penny Wong described diplomacy as a “tightrope” particularly when it came to balancing the US and China:

In terms of the United States, they are our ally. They’re our principal strategic partner. They are also our largest investment partner. None of that changes.

China is our most important trading destination. And it is such an important power in our region. We know that there are times where we will disagree with what China articulates.

But the world is not only those two relationships.”

Perhaps 2025 Wong should have a chat to 2020 Wong who wrote the essay, the ‘End of Orthodoxy’

Then, Wong argued:

Australia must take risks and have the confidence to shape the outcomes it seeks, she says, “rather than being caught in the slipstream” of US-China competition.

Australia will need to work harder to manage the risks and consequences of escalation, with “a greater premium on self-reliance and the preparedness to assert our interests”.

Perhaps a start would be reviewing the Aukus agreement (Australia is the only major party who isn’t reviewing it) to see whether the deal concocted in political interests rather than national ones, actually is a good move for Australia.