War of words: Australia can expect a hostile response from China to strategic defence review

Prof Jocelyn Chey, an adjunct professor at the Australia-China Relations Institute and a former senior Australian diplomat, was a government official responsible for trade relations with China in the Whitlam government, which first established diplomatic relations with Beijing.

In the military sphere, there is also ample precedent for a different way to communicate, she says.

Elena Yi-Ching Ho, a foreign policy fellow with Young Australians in International Affairs and a cybersecurity analyst, says the imperative to avoid conflict over Taiwan would be assisted by strengthening Australian cooperation with the island through increased official visits, stronger economic ties and boosted nongovernmental relations.