Could be.  Bush has stated unequivocally that there be no Unilateral talks with Kim Jung mentally Il.

I doubt the relations between China and the US will reach that stage unless China attacks Taiwan.  Then,I am sorry to say, no one can mediate.  First Taiwan (Sudentanland), then Vietnam (Austria), then Der Weld!

Heil Mao!  Sig heil!

maybe we will leave it to you.  We are tired of being whipped like a loyal dog.

unless China attacks Taiwan. Then,I am sorry to say, no one can mediate

This would be something that would be a real test for the world.

maybe we will leave it to you. We are tired of being whipped like a loyal dog.

I think if George was to administer the beating then Johnny would be on all fours waiting.

A mediator needs to be unbiased and on neither side alone. Australia is America's boy. How could Australia be a conduit for mediation when they're so obviously in the US's camp?
The strange thing is how unnoticed the coming confrontation is in the public consciousness. The US simply can't let the current situation continue.

How could Australia be a conduit for mediation when they're so obviously in the US's camp?

Well at the moment Australia is chumming up to China..

The strange thing is how unnoticed the coming confrontation is in the public consciousness.

It's been building for a while... I think attention has been diverted elsewhere.

I think if George was to administer the beating then Johnny would be on all fours waiting.

George wont, so you will never know. Contrary to popular belief, we dont attack innocents.  Unless you think 14 UN resolutions and 500,000 dead Iraqis to be just a minor inconvenience and not any thing of consequence.

["Australia does not believe that there is anything inevitable about escalating strategic competition between China and the US," he said in the speech to the Lowy Institute for International Studies in Sydney.]----Who is kiding who?

Frankly, if anyone didn't see the current problem rising from the asian theater, they must be blind. China has for quite some time been inching forward in an effort to muzzle US dominance (militarily, ecconomicly) ...attempts at modernizing their military, stealing American tech, making long term deals for petroleum from central and south america....

On the US side...we have been reaching out ourselves, though more low key...this month we formalized an agreement with India to help strengthen their nation...something both India and the US wants, why because we no longer enjoy dealing with the soft-power empires of europe. India is fully aware why the US is reaching out for a new power alliance ...simple...China....the US still maintains the edge against China now an in the future...but nothing is ever certain (EU attempting to end their arms embargo anyone?) and hedging our bets via an alliance with India even if its not publicly stated satifies all involved.

Frankly, if anyone didn't see the current problem rising from the asian theater, they must be blind

I agree.

Ive been posting on this topic for a while now.. most people have dismissed it as "it wont happen" although I am betting that within the next year to two years it will happen and then we will see the peril of the dictatorship that is China.

India is fully aware why the US is reaching out for a new power alliance ...simple...China....the US still maintains the edge against China now an in the future...

Also, while America and Pakistan are very much in bed together, I think India is far less worried about Pakistan than China (where they also have a border dispute) as Pakistan has not shown any attempt (other than the disputed Kashmir region) of imperialism, China has (Tibet).  It is an alliance of convenience for both, but with the disolution of the USSR, (who was India's foil against both the US and China), they dont have much choice in the matter.

I agree....If it comes down to a military conflict between China and Taiwan....I think that Taiwan has a chance of winning, or at least inflicting some heavy casualties [ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/ ] .....I would join Taiwan and help them, i would likely doubt the US would do anything ....the political outcomes would be significant.....

would likely doubt the US would do anything

But they have stated publically that they would do something about it.

China has (Tibet).

Yeah strange that people seem to forget. Although I hear that the Dalai Lama is in favour now of coming together with China.

Yeah strange that people seem to forget. Although I hear that the Dalai Lama is in favour now of coming together with China.

China is like the old USSR. They conquer what they cannot control. So as long as SE Asia and Mongolia stay with China's form of Communism, they are safe.

and that is also why Taiwan never will be.

The value of one persons word, or a whole nations is meaningless these days....[e.g. France,Germany,etc... Telling Iraq to cooperate or else they would......, they never followed through...]

Australia is noone's boy! We Aussies are far too independent for that. We will not blindly follow or be a party to American geo-politics. The US, although powerful, has no credibility in the world and its words cannot be trusted. This will continue until America forces Israel to adhere to countless UN resolutions and withdraw totally from the Occupied Territories. Also, America needs to force Israel to destroy its approximately 200 nuclear weapons, before it preaches to Iran. A true leader has to be honest.

Australia is noone's boy! We Aussies are far too independent for that. We will not blindly follow or be a party to American geo-politics. The US, although powerful, has no credibility in the world and its words cannot be trusted. This will continue until America forces Israel to adhere to countless UN resolutions and withdraw totally from the Occupied Territories. Also, America needs to force Israel to destroy its approximately 200 nuclear weapons, before it preaches to Iran. A true leader has to be honest.

---The American Governments word.....not the people,gotta get it right....

---Israel had the right to the #$%$ land....if you look historically, back thousands of years...israel had claim first....just because the palestinians ended up there means they have it....,split it up....have a palestinian state...


---Israel has every right to have nukes if it means survival....MAD [Mutual Assured Destruction] is what keeps israel safe, if an arab country [the most likely agressee because of relations] would, if it attacks, be destroyed...i.c. Nuked.....

---Iran on the other hand is a different story...They are ruled by America HATERS....literally, I'm not talking about how the french, germans,etc... hate us/dislike us....they would prefer us wiped off the face of the earth.....

Why Australia? Its only closeness to Asia is perhaps geographical proximity. Culturally,politically and historically, it has stonewalled itself to be apart from Asia, although its politicians want to influence the Asian politics as part of Australasian influence. What Asian country would really listen to it, much less accept it as a mediator?