It is beyond me why Australia is so obsessed with military spending

is it because we need a material tie to our powerful allies so that when China finally cracks it at our racist shit-talking, they will come and protect us?

@incrediblemelk isn't it much more likely that, when China decides f it, we'll take Taiwan (next 10 years = conceivable/realistic) the US defends it, and we're roped in because ANZUS?
I'd've thought the likelihood of direct threat or engagement from our biggest trading partner actually quite low.
We'll get drawn in by alliances.

@rubydoomsday you don't think China would attack us directly?

It is about 8950km from Beijing to Sydney. It's about 11,145km from Beijing to Washington DC