Playing Chicken? Up til now it has been a Sleeping Dragon it may well be just rumbling awake, and it has got an excess of 36? million young males due to the one child policy, lot of testosterone there to keep occupied. 

Threats start with intimidation and "playing chicken" IS intimidation. Look at what is happening with Muslim terrorists and you will start to understand the relationships with threats, intimidation, and rule by aggression. WAKE UP AUSTRALIA!

Leon:  China is not to be triffled with.  Just look at its (Communist) government and how it treats dissidents and you get an idea of how the regime views the world.

I hold serious fears about our moronic governments selling THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT our best FREEHOLD (= gone forever!!!) land.  When our population gets larger we will need quality farming land but China will NOT be seliing it back. Ever!  And you cannot buy land in China.  Funny that.

The philosophy of our farming land being productively used is a farce.  The Chinese government will bring in its own labour, move produce with its own vehicles to its own ports and then load it onto its own ships to be sailed back to China.  Only then will the produce be sold.  The result is NO TAXES PAYABLE IN AUSTRALIA.  We get the initial sale.  Nothing else.  And 11% of our farming land is gone already.

I often think that we need 'traitor' laws for our governments so that they stop destroying the country.  Not as though they do not know what they are doing. It's all about the quick buck and damn tomorrow.

Sorry Leon, got off the track a bit.  Sounds like an anti-China ramp but meant to highlight the future.  Not pretty and not right.

We all need to fear China. Current behaviour in the South China seas is telling a story as are the oil rigs in Vietnamese waters with Chinese gunboats protecting them.  Australia will dread dealing with this regime but then the almighty dollar is unavoidable in a country which has destroyed so much of its viability.  So what are we going to do if we join the US in a military conflict with China?  That'll be mass financial destruction. Hopefully not coming to Aussie households.  

I would imagine China considers that what it's doing is legit or it wouldn't be doing it. (Most) the rest of the world disagrees and yet it is now fait accompli & bugger whatever anyone else thinks. I dread to think what becomes of our cosy little lives if anyone decides to confront this issue. China: by this act of illegal reclamation; guarantees and protects both their submarine searoute & surface vessel access to sea-lanes and the wider oceans. It will in all probabilty enforce no fly zones above the disputed area(s). It is never the right time to be dealing with something of this magnitude but with world order presently in a state of flux - mass movements of 'refugees', brexit, upcoming American election, Soviet bellicosity, ISIS (plus fragments), Turkey & etc then I'm guessing that the Chinese power brokers foresaw a window of opportunity to build emselves some sand castles. So whoever dares to be the bully and go in & kick em down remains to be seen. Reckon we'd be well advised to get our chopsticks out ready for a change in fare ! 

I hope China is not playing chicken because it will come at a very high cost to the Chinese diaspora around the world. I live in an area where Chinese neighbours make up probably 30% to 40% of the population. They are the very best of neighbours and all they want to do is buy up real estate and ensure the wealth of their children and grandchildren and the welfare of their parents. So they are industrious, courteous and diligent and get on with their lives, and apart from being a little untrusting and sullen they are wonderful neighbours. So please China, think of the great Chinese diaspora. Don't put them in harms way.

The Chinese are wide awake and yes I think they are a threat in more ways than one. I came across this article which makes really interesting reading. Some of those pictures are scary and I sure would't like to tangle with the Chinese

http://www.news.com.au/national/australias-biggest-threat-is-china-australian-strategic-policy-institute-report-finds/story-fncynjr2-1226824729488

Just imagine if Trump gets into the White House and he confronts China!!

It is time that we learned from history`s mistakes that we should adopt a neutral attitude, similar to Switzerland.

We have in the past witnessed much bluster and bravado from nations that we are told are our "allies", resulting in our involvement and participation in other people`s wars,....wars that in some cases were simply internal civil wars, but which cost Australia many uneccesary lives!

We have to learn to keep our noses out of other people`s political affairs, and sit silently on the fence,.....at least then we do not become a "prime target"

The old saying rings true: "Make sure to engage brain before putting mouth in gear!"

Yes China is a threat and they have taken over here and will take over even more without firing a shot.

One has to ask WHY has this been allowed to take place ?

PlanB: You should be more concerned about the influx of undercover terrorists.

How can anyone identify any Asylum Seeker, Refugee,Immigrant or Visitor when they arrive at the door?

Your concern about the Chinese are of little consequence in the light of current daily events across the world, with daily mass murders being carried out by "brainwashed I.S./I.S.I.L. religious fanatics", who appear to target mainly innocent men, women and children, purely to satisfy a latent "revenge phobia", targetting many of their own people in the process.

This "revenge phobia" is their idea of pay-back for all the unbelievers/Infidels who have been part of the many nations responsible for the invasion and acts of war against these middle Eastern countries. In other words the whole Western World has now to pay for what was originally perpetrated by the U.S, and  the "Coalition of the Willing"

Conversely, in our lifetime, the Chinese have never invaded another country with the view to conquest, and they rather than the U.S. or it`s Allies, could have much material for "payback" considering the atrocities committed against the people of Nangking by the Japanese invaders, prior to the Second World War.

I think you will find that China is at this time in history, the least of our worries. We should be more concerned about the direction that the U.S. is going to take to solve Uncle`s financial problems,.....which are usually solved by a ramped-up war against some other nation!