Quad partners wary of China as Australians ‘soften’ to Beijing - The Australian

Public sentiment skepticism toward allies and openness to Beijing directly undermines pillar 7 (Alliance cohesion) by signaling to the US, Japan, and India that Australia's political support for Quad coordination and AUKUS commitments is in question. This erosion of perceived Australian commitment weakens the credibility of the Indo-Pacific coalition against Chinese coercion, particularly on Taiwan, and increases the risk that the US recalibrates its own regional strategy downward.