‘Reliable': China's big call on Albo trip

Yahoo

8 hours ago

Anthony Albanese has landed back in Australia after six days abroad touting Australia's trade and tourism offerings in China.
The Prime Minister has been keen to reframe the Australia-China relationship in friendlier terms, steering away from the increasingly militaristic tone to focus on a peaceful coexistence ensured through deeper economic interdependency.
'Overwhelmingly, what we discuss as moving forward is issues of today and tomorrow, rather than the past,' Mr Albanese told reporters on his final day in Chengdu, a major research hub in western China.
'What I speak about is the potential that's there to grow the relationship, to develop further economic ties.
'We – of course, as I've said repeatedly – we co-operate where we can, we disagree where we must, but we don't want those disagreements to define our relationship either.
'So what we do is talk about how we can co-operate further in the future.'
His message has gone down well in Beijing, with Chinese state media eagerly lapping up every photo op and flattering remark Mr Albanese made.
The Global Times is a leading English-language propaganda mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Doing its best to imitate a Western-style publication, it is often used to circulate the CCP's various pet peeves and routinely takes scathing shots at Australia.
But the Chinese government tabloid has had only good things to say after Mr Albanese met with Xi Jinping and other party top brass in the middle of the trip.
'The most important insight this gives us is that treating each other as equals, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and engaging in mutually beneficial co-operation serve the fundamental interests of both China and Australia and the two peoples,' it cited the Chinese President as saying in his remarks at the top of the big meet — a striking similarity to Mr Albanese's own words.
More tellingly, it summed up the state visit as a revival of 'Australia's independent China policy', speaking to the elephant in the room.
Donald Trump has made clear China is the main game when it comes to the foreign policy focus of his second administration.
Its exploding middle class and relentless growth is evidence of an economic model that could rival the US.
Similarly, China's rapid expansion of its nuclear and conventional arsenals has raised questions about how it might use its might, sparking warnings from Washington that Mr Xi is eyeing an invasion of Taiwan.
It is with that concern that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded the Albanese government hike Australia's defence spending to at least 3.5 per cent — a request Mr Albanese has rejected even as his deputy and defence minister, Richard Marles, said China's military build-up is driving 'security anxiety' in Canberra.
Brushing off the Trump administration's warnings as needless warmongering, the resistance to the US defence demand has not gone unnoticed in Beijing, which has eagerly seized on global trade uncertainty driven by tariffs.
In an opinion piece on Thursday, the Global Times said Mr Albanese's 'trip has come at a time of global turmoil instigated by the US'.
'The prime minister's critics are accusing him of prioritising the China relationship over the US relationship, but this is a misrepresentation,' it read.
'The simple reality is that China is a reliable partner.'
The piece went on to say 'Australia's relationship with the US has deteriorated' due to tariffs imposed 'despite Australia being the US' most reliable ally'.
'The contrast between China's steady reliability and the US' erratic demands is being noticed by the Australian people – opinion polls in Australia show falling confidence in the US and rising confidence in China,' it claimed.
Throughout the trip, Mr Albanese has leaned heavily on his mantra of co-operating with China where possible and disagreeing where necessary, making clear chasmic differences remain between Canberra and Beijing.
But his messaging from the glitz of central Shanghai, to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and the panda breeding capital of Chengdu, is that peace through trade and people-to-people ties are the best ways to navigate the challenges in the relationship.
It is not a new approach — the EU took it with post-Soviet Russia and was blindsided after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Whether Mr Albanese's China push will make Australia vulnerable down the line will be a matter for future generations.