Defence Minister Stephen Smith is on his way home from China where officials have -- both privately and publicly -- raised concerns over the closeness of links between Australia and the United States.
But the critics are not just in Beijing.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser says Australia risks becoming irrelevant, if the current direction of our relationship with the US continues.
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Speaking to local military officials, Stephen Smith conceded Australia has its legs in two different boats as he tried to smooth over relations with our number one trading partner.
Harvard University Professor Ezra Vogel has been studying the rise of China since the 1960s.
He says the US has been very clear about its intentions regarding its shifting focus to the Asia Pacific region.
