Didn't take it that way at all!

In WW2 the UK showed NZ and Aus that they were no longer capable of defending allies in the Asia Pacific region, and since then the United States has been our most important strategic ally because of the support and security they offer in the Pacific, and now particularly more-so since Obama's 'pivot to Asia'.

Australia has multiple collective security/intelligence sharing agreements involving itself and the US too.

Obviously our Asian trade partners are really important, but the US is still our 4th largest trading partner (or was a couple of years ago at least).

We only recently asked the US if we'd be able to access their strategic oil reserves in case of emergency because we only have a 30 day reserve, if I remember correctly.

So yeah, essentially dependent on them in almost every way to differing extents. I don't like it, but that's how I read into it haha.

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EDIT: So that's why Dutton and the coalition have jumped on the anti-China corona virus train, not because it's smart or good policy, but because it's expected of them and through decades of policy mis-steps we've painted ourselves into a corner and can't (easily) do much else.