Paul Keating plays down prospect of Chinese military invasion of Taiwan, urges Australia not to be drawn into conflict

Former prime minister Paul Keating has warned the federal government not to be drawn into a military conflict over Taiwan, saying the fate of the self-ruled island was “not a vital Australian interest” and playing down the prospect of a Chinese military invasion. China’s government claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been intensifying incursions into the island’s air defence zone, while issuing increasingly strident threats to its democratically elected leaders. But Mr Keating said unless Taiwan made an “ill-conceived” attempt to change the island’s status or declare full independence then China would likely try to resolve the issue…