Australian Strategic Policy Institute Executive Director Peter Jennings says Australia will not be able to escape its role in coming to the defence of Taiwan against the advances of China.
Mr Jennings said the United States expects Japan and Australia - which are its two key allies in the region - to play a role in the defence of Taiwan.
“This is something we won't be able to escape it seems to me," he said.
“China has certainly been ramping up its military activities around Taiwan and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow that down”.
Mr Jennings told Sky News “some fairly strong” Australian diplomacy in conjunction with friends and allies is needed to “make it clear to Beijing” military action against Taiwan is “unacceptable”.
He also said Australia needs to think about the kind of military role the country may be asked to play by the United States in defending the region.
“I guess my last comment would be to say Taiwan, as a successful democracy of 23 million people, its future should matter to Australia as a successful democracy of 25 million people," he said.
“If no one can be bothered to defend Taiwan, who would be bothered to help defend us”.
