(Australian foreign policy conundrums : Japan and China)

This article will consider what the rise of China represents for Australian foreign policy and relations with China and Japan as well as Australia's overall regional diplomacy. Three key themes are discussed in the context of the rise of China: the twin objectives in Australian foreign policy and alignment with the United States, security upgrades with Japan and finally an assessment of Australia's capacity to continue to successfully juggle three competing triads. The article will argue that Australia will continue with a hedging strategy for the foreseeable future