AUSTRALIE PERSPECTIVE

Australia observes the Asian energy crisis with a mix of security concern and discreet economic opportunism. The Australian, a Murdoch paper, analyzes implications for Australia's gas sector: as the world's top LNG exporter, Australia sees demand explode from Japan and South Korea desperately seeking Gulf alternatives.

The Sydney Morning Herald questions Canberra's moral obligations to its Quad (Japan, India, US) and AUKUS partners. ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) covers implications for the Australian navy, already engaged in maritime security exercises in the South China Sea.

The Age, from Melbourne, criticizes the slowness of Australia's energy transition: a country so rich in sun and wind should not depend on imported oil for its own transport. But economic reality persists — Australia exports LNG while importing refined petroleum, a logistical absurdity the crisis highlights.

The AUKUS and Quad dimension takes renewed importance: if Pacific democracies cannot secure their energy supplies together, what are these alliances for? The debate over building Australian nuclear submarines suddenly seems less theoretical.