Defence Minister John Faulkner has defended the federal government's 2009 defence white paper, which former prime minister Paul Keating describes as "ambivalent".
In his John Curtin Prime Ministerial lecture, delivered in Perth on Thursday and published in Fairfax newspapers on Friday, Mr Keating said he found himself to be "at odds" with some of the white paper.
"Recognising that China will be the strongest Asian military power, it discusses 'the remote but plausible potential of confrontation' between us and a major power adversary, not suggesting who that power might be," Mr Keating said.
"Obviously it will not be the US. You are then left with China, Japan, India or Indonesia.
"The paper struck an ambivalent tone about our likely new strategic circumstances and what we should do."
Senator Faulkner said on Friday that the white paper was designed to prepare the nation for future challenges.
"It's not aimed at a specific threat or nation, I would say to you that the White Paper 2009 is a hard-headed and rigorous analysis of the strategic environment that Australia faces in the decades ahead," he told reporters in Sydney.
"In relation to Paul's comments about China, be assured ... that the Australian government is committed to and very supportive of a good relationship with China."
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