Australia called on Thursday on the United States to build a strong presence in Asia and bolster ties with “like-minded” partners while warning against China’s rising influence. A more insular United States would be detrimental to the liberal nature of the world’s “rules-based order”, the government said in a 115-page foreign policy white paper.  Security expert and former US Assistant Secretary for Defence, David Shear, said Australia needed to “pick up the ball and run” with its own regional leadership and defence strategy rather than rely on the United States’ ever increasing erratic foreign policy and eroded power in Asia.