China was the big disruptor in our region. Now the US is determined to take that title

Australia and China, the prime minister told the secretary of the CCP’s Shanghai Municipal Committee on Sunday, “deal with each other in a calm and consistent manner”. “And we want to continue to pursue our national interests, and it is in our interest to have good relations with China”. It’s the sort of polite diplomatic language that can often sound eye glazing at bilateral meetings on official trips. But it had a particularly pointed resonance this time, given there is little that feels ‘calm and consistent’ emanating from our other major international partner: the United States of America. There is…