Rope-Walking between China and the U.S.:A Strategy Adopted by Australia's Howard Administration

The initial stage of Howard government met constant frictions with China as a result of its pro-US policy.Then its China policy was readjusted in such a way that it seemed to feel for a balance between China and the US.While Australia continued to strengthen its military and security ties with the US,it started to adopt a China policy different from that of the US,in an attempt to improve the diplomatic environment,and promote the economic cooperation with China.This diplomatic finesse is necessitated by the optimum Australian national interests,and what's more,by the manipulative interplay of Australia,china and the United States.