War games with China - how times change!

The ABC recently reported "Last year Canberra named China as Australia's biggest strategic threat, prompting an angry response from the Chinese foreign ministry".

But during September, 2010 the Australian Navy was working with China in what the ABC reported as "the most intense war games in Australia's history".
The joint exercises were held on the Yellow Sea, off north of China.

Read ABC Pacific report.
Since China is still officially a communist nation, it is surprising, and perhaps somewhat disturbing, to see this development.

Our military is also working with Indonesia, the large Islamic nation to our north.
This has been an ongoing diplomatic challenge for Australia as this detailed report from Security Challenges shows...

Australia recently held exercises between the SAS and Indonesia's special forces:
In September 2010 the SAS held exercises in Bali with Indonesia's controversial special forces unit Kopassus. Read media report.

But cooperative war games with China?
We might well ask "What next?" Read ABC Pacific report.