Without a doubt, the everlasting worry that occupies my mind is the danger of what might happen if and when China decides to the military force against Taiwan.

I have been worried about this for a long time. That concern has been deepened by my reading of Professor Hugh White’s quarterly essay “Sleepwalk To War” published last year. I’ve read his essay and taken account of his responses to what he wrote.

I am concerned that what Professor White has written could come to pass in terms of its most awful prediction. China is bristling about Taiwan and feels increasingly aggravated by Taiwan’s independence.

America is positioning itself to support Taiwan in the event of any military action by China, against the island they claim as part of the Chinese hegemony.

Australia’s increasing ties to America suggest that if the United States says “jump“ to Australia in seeking the support of any action supporting Taiwan against China, Australia will respond by saying “How high“?

Australia self-praises its independence, but I see it as being a country dependent upon America’s support in so many areas of defence. With that comes a requirement of payback if demanded by the major player.

In my opinion, we are still in the era of the 1960s when Harold Holt promised that we in Australia would go “All the way with BGJ”.

The irony of all this is that leave the country recognised as Taiwan as a nation, because of adherence to the “One China” policy. Having the pie and eating it too comes to mine.

I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Darwin is increasingly militarizing and being upgraded from a defence viewpoint by the Australian government and by America contributing facilities and large numbers of Marines for training exercises. The Northern Territory is developing fuel dumps and upgrading defence facilities in both Darwin and at the Tindall Air Base near Katherine, 270 km south of Darwin, to facilitate ground, C, and air military operations.

I make this point because Darwin would be the first port of call for any retaliation in time of war from an aggrieved overseas adversary. The city has cyclone shelters but certainly nothing constructed in any underground way as bunkers should they become necessary to avoid air or drone strikes.

Along with many other countries in the world, Australia talks of peace but is preparing for war. I worry not for myself alone but for our entire family and our community as a whole.

This concern has been growing upon me for the past ten years and is getting sharper and more constant with time. The anxiety never leaves me.