Why are they getting into this game now?

The Chinese want what the Aussies have. Right now, they buy it. Maybe they won't want to buy it forever.

but it's many years away from posing a serious threat to Australia.

Edit: Thanks for the link to the story which is interesting!

I expect they see an opportunity to "pinch" skilled workers from people leaving the military after service.

Edited to remove an extraneous "m" from the end of "Australia"

They're like a Western nation with the lamest military. No one ever talks about them in the history books.

is who they are worried about.

Aussies were worried about a Chinese invasion even then. Not because of the resources issue, but what I was told was that Aussies were concerned about retaliation for the way they treated Chinese workers at the end of the 1800's. Oz imported Chinese workers for the railroads and other infrastructure. When they were done with them, they put the Chinese on boats, took them out into the ocean and then sank the boats with the Chinese on board. While I didn't believe that the Chinese would over-run Australia for this, I think there is a legitimate concern in THIS century of the Chinese taking resources by force.

we were "worried" about communism rolling down through Vietnam into Australia. The Red Menace. And don't forget, the white Australia policy was very recent history at the time.

And the story about the Chinese being sunk at sea? Didn't happen. I think some of your Aussie mates were pulling your leg.

I had two sets of friends -- one set lived in the country on large stations, the other set were students at Uni in Sydney. I heard this story from both sets. If you say it never happened, I suspect an urban legend rather than these two very different groups coming up with the same story to pull my leg.

Yes, I'm aware of the all-white policy. When I applied for a resident visa, I had to not only state my racial group, but I had to furnish pictures to prove it. As a matter of fact, when I went there, immigration was closed to everyone, not just non-whites. My mother/brother/sister were already there and had a business where I could work, so I managed to get the resident visa.

I loved living there and given another chance, would love to live there again. I found Aussies to be friendly and welcoming. (hmm, reminiscing about that night in the men's side of the pub drinking with the entire rugby union team -- oh, those were the days). But now I'm old and have pre-existing conditions and therefore I'm no longer welcome there on anything but a very temporary basis.

But I guess you have to be a killer to get in.

And what does that say about Australia?

They aren't looking for "killers," they are looking for defenders.

There's a distinction, and a difference.

Defenders my ass.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. Enjoy your viewpoint, now! And that ass you seem so fond of!

I'm going to borrow someone's sig line for a better way to describe them:

A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

hackneyed, phony "baby killer" attitude. Nothing could be further from the truth. Harry Truman was a uniformed Army leader. So was JFK. George McGovern was a frigging war hero. John Kerry, Bob Kerrey, Tammy Duckworth...the list goes on. In fact, the only chickenhawks I know--people who love war and love others to fight it--are Republicans.

People who make broad-brushed, offensive BS remarks about people who are willing to serve their country and defend its citizens tell us more about their own prejudices and ignorant views than they realize.

Normally not to the extent of the poster in question, granted...

But a tangible number of Americans joining up woud be a first since WW2.

for young military families who are dead-ended here. they have national health care and some gorgeous scenery..great weather too go for it