US submarines at HMAS Stirling, B-52 rotations through Tindal and deepening military integration are tying Australia ever more closely to US strategic priorities – including the prospect of war with China over Taiwan, Paul Keating writes.

This short piece by Paul Keating is another wake-up call. But are we (and especially our government) hearing it?

The claim by Michael McCaul, a visiting US Republican congressman, that US nuclear submarines rotating through Western Australia under the AUKUS pact “could be carrying nuclear weapons” is a very disturbing indication that the West Australian naval facility, HMAS Stirling, will in all likelihood be hosting American nuclear weapons.

In playing down the concern that hosting American nuclear weapons would make Australia a target, McCaul informed us that in his view Australia “was already a target”. I don’t think the community of Perth will be taking comfort from this advice.

… McCaul told us it was “absolutely critical” that Australia backed any US intervention to protect Taiwan in the event of a US strike.

Any thinking Australian will be obliged to immediately ask the question: why would Australia have any interest in putting its cities and communities at risk to act militarily in support of Taiwan?