Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his six-day visit to China, hitting back at Coalition criticism by noting the former government failed to hold a single phone call with Beijing for years. Speaking during the trip, Albanese said the opposition should sort themselves out before attacking the Labor government.
Albanese met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, discussing trade tensions with the US, Taiwan independence, and tourism links. However, opposition finance minister James Paterson described the trip as 'indulgent', questioning its tangible outcomes, and criticised visits to tourist attractions like the Great Wall and a panda research facility.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley said she was 'disappointed' Albanese did not receive assurances about Chinese military live-fire exercises in international waters earlier this year. 'Friendship is important, but it can’t come at the cost of our national interest,' she said.
From Chengdu, Albanese retorted that pictures of his visits reached over a billion people in China, representing potential tourists and job creators for Australia. 'If James Paterson doesn’t understand that, then he doesn’t understand much.'
Relations deteriorated in 2020 under Scott Morrison after he backed an inquiry into Covid-19 origins, leading to trade sanctions and frozen dialogues. Since Albanese took office, ties have improved, though tensions remain over the imprisonment of academic Yang Hengjun. After meeting Xi, Albanese promised 'patient, calibrated advocacy' on sensitive issues.
