Australia prepares for a lonelier, harsher world

The country has long relied on America for security and China for its prosperity. Those two pillars are wobbling

AUSTRALIANS HAVE felt lucky but anxious since the first colonists waded ashore, over two centuries ago. An edge of insecurity endured even as Australia became prosperous, safe and envied: a liberal democracy with a resource-rich continent to itself, guarded by a deep blue moat on the bottom of the world. Today, Australian fears are acute, for two pillars supporting its modern rise—its defence alliance with America and its trade with China—are wobbling. For all that, after a week Down Under talking to business, political and national-security bigwigs, The Telegram has a hunch that Australian angst gives the country a head start.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Australia the lonely”

From the February 22nd 2025 edition

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