Warned by experts that the strategic environment is the most dangerous it has been since the second world war, it would seem that either the Albanese government has chosen to ignore this, or it is planning to move us gradually into Beijing’s orbit, notwithstanding their appalling disregard of elementary human rights.

But as with all dictatorships, Beijing lives under the real threat of regime change which could mean its role in the world could change completely. The evidence discussed below does suggest the Chinese people would prefer to live in a land governed by traditional Chinese values.

Apart from the Albanese government’s apparent attraction to Beijing, there is  a parallel with 1941 when our leaders failed to prepare for our proper defence and, instead, were overly dependent on Singapore to stop the Imperial Japanese. While they surely realised the United Kingdom was no longer the dominant power she had been at Federation, they ignored the obvious fact that she would not be able to fight simultaneously against Germany, Italy and Japan.

So when Churchill made the sensible proposal that Singapore be evacuated and the troops be deployed to more defensible positions, the response on behalf of our indisposed Prime Minister Curtin, probably worded by Dr Evatt, was that this would be an ‘inexcusable betrayal’. Churchill acquiesced, no doubt against his better strategic judgement.

It is extraordinary that, provided it does remain loyal to the Western alliance, the Albanese government is making precisely the same mistake of total reliance on the dominant power and avoiding making a full and proper contribution to the defence of Australia.

Meanwhile, talk of the Albanese government winning a landslide should be balanced by the fact that while Labor won only 34.5 per cent of the vote, they were awarded 62.6 per cent of the seats. Moreover, the voters were not informed that they were putting into office the most left-wing government  that Australia has ever known. Not only is the leader from the hard or far-left sub-faction, for the first time the left wing is the majority faction in the caucus.

With the second-term win, the government seems willing to reveal something of its true nature, but not all.

But even in their first term, the government did what no Australian government has ever done. They refused a very reasonable American request for help.  This was to have an RAN vessel join the US-led operation against the Houthis’ attacks on shipping. More recently, calls from the US for Australia to increase its paltry defence spending have been arrogantly dismissed.

Clearly terrified that he will be exposed at his first, long overdue meeting with President Trump in the White House, Mr Albanese has reluctantly and unsuccessfully tried to schedule a clearly inadequate meeting on the sidelines of an international conference.

At the same time, Mr Albanese has recently and pointedly seen Xi Jinping on  the fourth occasion, and this on a six-day visit to communist China. It was difficult for some of us not to recall the visit of a leader of some tributary state to the Middle Kingdom. Nothing was achieved, and certainly not in trade. No one should naively forget that Beijing is creating competition for our iron ore exports as it did when it destroyed our nickel industry.

In addition, it spectacularly shredded both the Free Trade Agreement and the WTO rules when the perfectly legitimate suggestion was made for an international inquiry into the origin of Covid.

Meanwhile, the Albanese government has demonstrated that what was so hated by so many on the left, the Aukus nuclear submarines acquisition programme, is actually proving extremely useful in creating the impression that the government remains committed to the Western camp and that defence expenditure beyond its term (for which it is not responsible) is substantial.

As mentioned in an earlier column, Beijing, while welcoming the Albanese government’s wish for a closer relationship with them, and a reduction in our American link, still treats the Albanese government with a degree of contempt, as demonstrated by not even advising of live-fire exercises off Australia. And as mentioned above, Beijing is always subject to the contingency of regime change.

Communist dictator Mao Zedong’s rule from 1949 to 1976 was disastrous, with Mao responsible for more deaths than any other ruler, between 60 and 80 million. During that time, hundreds of thousands of people risked their lives to escape through shark-infested waters to the freedom and good government of Hong Kong. On Mao’s passing, not only the Chinese people, but Mao’s successors, realised communism was finished.

The communists borrowed aspects of capitalism but retained their own iron rule  and their access to unbelievable wealth and power. China became a criminal enterprise with a nominal attachment to communism.

When in the early-1990s, parks were filled with people practising slow meditative movements, the party was initially supportive. That the Falun Gong incorporated elements drawn from Buddhist and Taoist traditions and enunciated truthfulness, compassion and forbearance initially was of no concern. But its size and attraction to the Chinese people began to worry the communists. So much so that Jiang Zemin personally took the lead in the decision to eradicate the Falun Gong, its popularity being a direct challenge to his authority and that of the party. He issued directives to ‘defame their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically’. This was to be done through the evil creation of a market for the sale of human organs on demand.

The London-based China Tribunal, headed by prominent international lawyer Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, estimated there were 60,000 to 90,000 deaths annually from forced transplants.

This appalling crime contiutes to this da and has been extended to the Muslim Uighurs.

What is extraordinary is that the Albanese government shows every inclination of bringing Australia closer to what is nothing more than a criminal enterprise and further away from the US and the Western alliance.