Anthony Albanese calls for US-China dialogue, Australia to play ‘constructive middle power' after Beijing
The Prime Minister said Australia could be a 'calm, consistent and clear voice for stability, security, economic growth and certainty going forward'.
'I think we can play a positive role. We are US allies, but we have a constructive relationship with China,' Mr Albanese said following his high level meetings with China's top leadership during his six-day tour of the country.
'Australia as a middle power can play a positive and constructive role in the world. We are living in uncertain times and there is turbulence in the world.'
The Prime Minister invoked two Labor titans on his tour, first walking in the footsteps of Gough Whitlam as he visited the Great Wall of China and recalled how the former leader opened the door to Australia's modern day relations with Beijing by establishing formal diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China in 1972.
Mr Albanese also became the first Australian Prime Minister since Bob Hawke in 1986 to visit Chengdu in the southwest province of Sichuan.
Mr Hawke enjoyed access to the senior PRC leadership that was unmatched by other major Western leaders. Professor James Curran had previously highlighted in a 2023 research paper that Mr Hawke played a bridging role between China and the United States.
Mr Albanese said he did not view himself in a conduit role given the US and China had a separate relationship but he urged the two global giants to open up dialogue, similar to the 'communication mechanisms' the US and the Soviet Union adopted during the Cold War.
'It is in the world's interests that the two major powers are able to engage and where there are differences talk about them,' he said.
Mr Albanese's week-long, trade-focused trip drew together Australian and Chinese industry executives for roundtable talks on widening business collaboration and cooperation on green energy.
But the centrepiece of the visit was a series of bilateral meetings in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Communist Party chief Zhao Leji, who all rolled out the red carpet treatment for Mr Albanese.
'I have a good relationship with the Chinese president and Premier and we met the number three, Chairman Zhao as well,' he said.
'We had a very constructive meeting, he'll lead a delegation to Australia later this year.
'Having two-and-a-half hours with Premier Li and two-and-a-half hours with President Xi sends a message to the whole of the Chinese government and therefore the whole of the Chinese economic system that they value the relationship with Australia.'
Mr Albanese agreed the goodwill of the past week would make it easier to pick up the phone to Beijing if there was a future crisis.
'I have been able to engage in a constructive way,' he said.
'We're able to have discussions both publicly and be able to act diplomatically.'
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The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open. Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action. The UK has declared its ties to Australia are "absolute", vowing it will deliver on its defence commitments as doubt grows over the reliability of the US. A 50-year treaty to underpin the AUKUS security pact will be signed in Geelong on Saturday following talks hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for their UK counterparts in Sydney. The AUKUS security partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, but the fresh treaty is only between London and Canberra. The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review. 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The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity. As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program. But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre. 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The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described talks with the Albanese government as "focused and constructive". "It's clear that the UK, Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said. Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK's commitment to Australia was "absolute". Mr Healey said his government had taken steps to ensure capacity for the planned SSN-AUKUS class submarines. "We have made a commitment ... in making sure that we have the productive capacity, we have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said. The new boats will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inking of the deal would underpin the development of AUKUS. The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity. As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program. But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda. Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open. Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action.
