If anyone thinks that China is not itching for a fight, say because they'll damage their economy, then you misunderstand the worse of human nature. Besides, history is full of economically powerful nations that had no real need to go to war, but did regardless. Germany and Japan are two recent examples. What China has in common with them is the need to express themselves over their perceived injustices against them. China has been pushed around for hundreds of years, and now they desire to show that they have come of age. Xi wants to show this militarily. If you want to understand why war is coming, start with men with unlimited power and a fixation to use it. Everything else is superfluous against argument for war.
Now that China has the ability, only second to the US, then it is only the US that stands in the way of China expressing its military might. But things are changing rapidly in the US, and civil war is only months away. The well-armed militias representing the far right and left of America are planning confrontation after the forthcoming election, regardless of the result. This will eventually lead to interstate warfare and the separation of powers within government that will also include the separation of the military. When the 7th Fleet is withdrawn or reduced from the South China Sea, then China will strike.
Australian warships will become a target, and here is the twist: they may become so even before Taiwan is. As China stated in their English newspaper last week, they can severely beat-up a US running dog (Australia), and choosing us first could have a strategic aim for China by testing the waters of war in a large ocean. It's not as if the rest of the world is going to declare WW3 on China if they attack our ships in 'their' waters. If the 7th fleet is not there, then there is unlikely to be any immediate retribution.
I regret to suggest that there is considerable chance that some Australian's won't be returning home for Christmas.
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