Kevin Rudd warns of ‘catastrophic’ consequences of armed conflict with China over Taiwan: news.com.au

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has warned Australians are “living in dangerous times” and there is a real risk that China remains on track to take military action against Taiwan.

Speaking at the Australian National University tonight, Mr Rudd argued the next five years are critical and will shape and arguably determine the future stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

“If we fail to navigate the next five years carefully, there is a grave risk that by the late 2020s and the early 30s, we could well find ourselves on the cusp of armed conflict.

“It is easy to use the term ‘armed conflict’. But when we begin to imagine the scope of a possible war between China and the United States over Taiwan, the strategic, economic and human cost of such a conflagration is likely to be of an order of magnitude not seen since the Second World War.”

More: Kevin Rudd’s ‘catastrophic’ China warning | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site