In a recent interview, former top Australian diplomat Gareth Evans called on the Australian government to avoid "excessive dependence" on the U.S.

"America is always going to follow its own interests – whether it's there for us militarily if some catastrophe does erupt in a region is going to ­depend entirely on America's ­assessment of its own interests," said Evans, a former Labor foreign minister of the country who served as Australia's top diplomat from 1988 to 1996.

"We just have to be wide awake to that," Evans said, advising the Australian government to seek "a better bang for each buck" in its ­defense spending. 

Evans also warned the government to be cautious about advice from the national security agencies. 

The former diplomat also urged the Australian policymakers to avoid ­"excessive zeal" in their comments on China.

The relationship between China and Australia has plummeted since last year when the latter imposed anti-dumping duties on some Chinese products. 

Last month, Australia announced its withdrawal from two cooperation deals between its state of Victoria and China under the Belt and Road Initiative. In response, Beijing said it would indefinitely suspend all activities under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

Australia's moves seriously damaged the mutual trust between China and Australia and undermined the basis for two-way exchanges and cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said earlier this month. 

"China has to make legitimate and necessary responses, and Australia must bear all the responsibility for this," Wang said.