A choice between Australia's biggest market, China, and its closest ally, the United States, was hardly a difficult one. The decision made, Canberra now has to reassure Beijing it's business as usual. The boom-time prosperity Australia is enjoying from its mineral exports, mainly to China, is something that new Prime Minister Julia Gillard is working hard to extend. But having signed a package of deals with Washington ministers for beefed-up military cooperation, she must now ward off Beijing's expected backlash.
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