Anthony Albanese pitches for peace at the Great Wall of China
On his visit, he advocated for Ukraine in its war with Russia, even though Moscow and Beijing are drawing closer.
China and Russia remain close allies, and on the same day Mr Albanese met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi also welcomed Russia's foreign minister to Beijing ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit later this year.
'Our position on Ukraine is consistent, it's clear, is advocated publicly and privately,' Mr Albanese said.
Prime Minister Albanese is seeking to foster a great relationship, built on strong foundations and a stable environment.
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West Australian
11 minutes ago
- West Australian
Trade stand-off continues as US drug tariffs loom
Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme is not up for negotiation, says the federal government in the face of ramped-up US threats to triple the price of foreign medicines. In a continuation of his erratic approach to trade policy, President Donald Trump says taxes on drug imports could be announced as soon as the end of the month, with eventual tariff rates of up to 200 per cent. "We're going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build, and then we're going to make it a very high tariff," Mr Trump said. Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, under which the government negotiates medicine prices with manufacturers before subsidising them for patients, is reportedly in the crosshairs of US pharmaceutical companies lobbying the White House. The Albanese government has flatly refused any negotiation on the PBS. "Obviously, they are being lobbied, as other US Presidents have been for many years by the US big pharma industry, which wants not just Australia's scheme but other schemes like it around the world ... they want that freed up," federal health minister Mark Butler said on Wednesday. "They want to see their profits increased. That's been the case for decades and decades." The PBS is crucial to ensure equitable and affordable access to medicines, according to Royal Australian College of GPs president Michael Wright. "We should be proud of the prime minister and treasurer's steadfast support for maintaining the PBS, regardless of external pressure." But complaints about such pricing schemes are common across the industry and include Australian medicine manufacturers, says Melbourne University research fellow Joe Carrello. "They argue the increasing costs it takes to investigate and run trials and bring a new drug to market aren't keeping up with what the return is, given what the government is willing to pay," Dr Carrello told AAP. Dr Carrello, who helps evaluate medicines proposed for the PBS after their approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said there could be consequences to a relatively small market like Australia negotiating such lean prices. "The fear is some US companies may decide against launching new drugs in Australia because comparatively, they're not going to get a good price," he said. In the US, where a relatively free-market approach has been favoured, drug prices are almost three times higher than in 33 comparable income countries, according to RAND research. Australians have an average life expectancy of 83.2 years, compared to 77.4 years in the US, World Bank data shows. "Without the PBS, we'd see people losing access to affordable medications and an increased spend per person on average but it wouldn't be evenly distributed," Dr Carrello said. In a submission to a Productivity Commission inquiry, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer criticised the PBS's assessment process, claiming it under-accounted for drug and vaccine benefits over multiple budget cycles and missed broader social benefits. "Over the last decade, while the total PBS spend has increased, the proportion of the PBS that funds innovative medicines has seen minimal growth," Pfizer wrote in its submission. "This means, as a proportion of GDP, the government's expenditure on innovative medicines is going backwards." Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has joined the health minister in ruling out any changes to the PBS in US trade negotiations. "This Albanese Labor government is about strengthening the PBS in the interests of our people, not weakening it in the interests of American multinationals," he recently said. As for Australian drug producers, the federal government was still weighing the impacts of the proposed tariffs on Australian exports, which were worth $2.2 billion in 2024. "(President Trump) indicated there was a long lead time, a long period where he'd be considering this possible step," Dr Chalmers said. That lead time was cut by a matter of months this week, in a sign the United States' push may be turning to a shove.
Perth Now
11 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Trade stand-off continues as US drug tariffs loom
Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme is not up for negotiation, says the federal government in the face of ramped-up US threats to triple the price of foreign medicines. In a continuation of his erratic approach to trade policy, President Donald Trump says taxes on drug imports could be announced as soon as the end of the month, with eventual tariff rates of up to 200 per cent. "We're going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build, and then we're going to make it a very high tariff," Mr Trump said. Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, under which the government negotiates medicine prices with manufacturers before subsidising them for patients, is reportedly in the crosshairs of US pharmaceutical companies lobbying the White House. The Albanese government has flatly refused any negotiation on the PBS. "Obviously, they are being lobbied, as other US Presidents have been for many years by the US big pharma industry, which wants not just Australia's scheme but other schemes like it around the world ... they want that freed up," federal health minister Mark Butler said on Wednesday. "They want to see their profits increased. That's been the case for decades and decades." The PBS is crucial to ensure equitable and affordable access to medicines, according to Royal Australian College of GPs president Michael Wright. "We should be proud of the prime minister and treasurer's steadfast support for maintaining the PBS, regardless of external pressure." But complaints about such pricing schemes are common across the industry and include Australian medicine manufacturers, says Melbourne University research fellow Joe Carrello. "They argue the increasing costs it takes to investigate and run trials and bring a new drug to market aren't keeping up with what the return is, given what the government is willing to pay," Dr Carrello told AAP. Dr Carrello, who helps evaluate medicines proposed for the PBS after their approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said there could be consequences to a relatively small market like Australia negotiating such lean prices. "The fear is some US companies may decide against launching new drugs in Australia because comparatively, they're not going to get a good price," he said. In the US, where a relatively free-market approach has been favoured, drug prices are almost three times higher than in 33 comparable income countries, according to RAND research. Australians have an average life expectancy of 83.2 years, compared to 77.4 years in the US, World Bank data shows. "Without the PBS, we'd see people losing access to affordable medications and an increased spend per person on average but it wouldn't be evenly distributed," Dr Carrello said. In a submission to a Productivity Commission inquiry, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer criticised the PBS's assessment process, claiming it under-accounted for drug and vaccine benefits over multiple budget cycles and missed broader social benefits. "Over the last decade, while the total PBS spend has increased, the proportion of the PBS that funds innovative medicines has seen minimal growth," Pfizer wrote in its submission. "This means, as a proportion of GDP, the government's expenditure on innovative medicines is going backwards." Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has joined the health minister in ruling out any changes to the PBS in US trade negotiations. "This Albanese Labor government is about strengthening the PBS in the interests of our people, not weakening it in the interests of American multinationals," he recently said. As for Australian drug producers, the federal government was still weighing the impacts of the proposed tariffs on Australian exports, which were worth $2.2 billion in 2024. "(President Trump) indicated there was a long lead time, a long period where he'd be considering this possible step," Dr Chalmers said. That lead time was cut by a matter of months this week, in a sign the United States' push may be turning to a shove.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Panda-monium and press freedom: What we learned from Albanese's six days in China
It was in the heart of Beijing's old city, with the famous drum and bell towers looming over the travelling media, that the smiling eyes of the pandas were replaced briefly by raw local anger. The interaction, as Australian journalists were filming their reports of Anthony Albanese's visit to China, underscored a regular refrain from the prime minister that the two nations have "different systems". Australia and China certainly have very different views of press freedom. Australia is a democracy and China has a one-party autocracy. In Australia, we have the right to record media reports in public spaces; in China, local authorities can call the police and demand that footage be deleted. The incident occurred despite journalists having written permission in English and Mandarin from the Chinese Foreign Ministry allowing us to film in Beijing. After the diplomatic intervention of Beijing-based Australian government representatives, our group was able to depart on a bus without any contact with police or having to remove any footage we had collected. But at one point the leader of the local officials was shouting with his face distorted by fury, warning that we should not try leave, and that the police were on their way. As far as diplomatic incidents go, this one was relatively small-scale, and Chinese-based foreign media are used to such skirmishes, but it was a thorn in an otherwise charmed week of cultural exchange between the Australian and Chinese leaders. SBS has been told it was noted in Canberra and was considered out of step with expectations about how the Australian media would be treated during the visit. It wasn't the only time press expectations were limited. Inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Australia's reporting contingent was preparing for the critical engagement of the campaign: the direct handshake between Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping. But the photographers from Australian Associated Press and Nine Newspapers were held back and only the official Australian government photographer was allowed to enter. SBS World News ran the government-issued photo but always prefers to use the journalism, both written and visual, that comes from our colleagues — especially if they've flown halfway across the world to capture it. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Source: AAP / Huang Jingwen/AP Reporters were able to freely capture many other moments of the trip: the prime minister and his fiancée Jodie Haydon strolling on the Shanghai Bund with local football players, walking a cordoned off area of the Great Wall of China mulling its extraordinary history and joking about looking for a celebrant, meeting with aspiring Chinese tennis players in Chengdu, and waving at giant pandas in a local sanctuary. The pictures were making their way to the Australian audience and to many tens of millions in China, not to mention the global audience that is hungry for contact between world leaders and China in this potential turning point in world history. But the formal meetings with President Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang were considered the trip's key serious moments of statecraft. While Albanese did raise the flotilla of Chinese warships that circumnavigated the Australian coast earlier this year, he didn't get any clear assurances that there would be more notice of the ventures in future. Instead, he reported back that China intended to continue to move in international waters when required, as Australia does in contested waters off the Chinese coast. Albanese's closest supporters in Australia say the approach has been overly diplomatic and China reads it as weak. They also warn it's akin to being bullied by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Again, Albanese had no assurances to provide about Dr Yang's future. According to high level government sources, the Port of Darwin fracas was not formally raised, though state media outlets were making no secret of its potential to be a sticking point. Meanwhile, some in Washington seemed willing to make mischief while the prime minister was on Chinese soil. Attempting to force Australia to show its hand was a bit rich for the Pentagon, which deliberately doesn't say how it would approach any Chinese attempts to envelope Taiwan into the Chinese mainland. Albanese characterised the Taiwan section of the private bilateral talks with President Xi as reaffirming the status quo. "What we do is continue to support a One China policy. We support the status quo, by definition we don't support any unilateral action on Taiwan," he said while standing on the Great Wall of China. But Beijing's initial take was stronger. "Albanese reaffirmed Australia's commitment to the One China policy and its opposition to 'Taiwan Independence'," it read. Later, an online version of the Chinese readout was amended to say: "he (Albanese) assured Xi that Australia adheres to the One China policy and does not support 'Taiwan Independence'". In signs considered positive for the personal relationship, the prime minister was treated to a private lunch with President Xi. He also attended a dinner banquet hosted by Premier Li, which included performances by Chinese musicians of Australian songs by Paul Kelly, Powderfinger and Midnight Oil. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited pandas in a sanctuary in Chengdu during his second official visit to China. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch On trade, an issue that underpinned the whole visit, both countries spoke proudly about having open markets and the importance of trading ties, rhetoric that seemed pointed at the chaos emanating from the White House. There was discussion about how Australia is meeting the challenges of climate change and moving to promote green steel production, as the budget-boosting iron ore industry gets increasingly jittery about high-level ore mines in Africa that are coming online and could be competitive soon. Panda-monium Pandas are the diplomatic panacea China liberally applies across the world in countries where it's trying to soften its image. Panda-mania is understatement when it comes to the Western China city of Chengdu. From the shape of the bus stops to street sculptures and shop fronts (no matter what is being sold inside), the giant panda is omnipresent with no end of creative ways to incorporate this brand ambassador into the architecture and art of the city. The demise of the panda population has come as the booming Chinese economy has fuelled urban sprawl and encroached on the habitat of the world-renowned bears. Now only a couple of thousand remain in the wild and attempts to breed more are thwarted by the tiny breeding window of only three days a year. Pandas are revered and in the 40 degree Chengdu heat some tourists noted that they felt their hearts melting as they saw them for the first time among the bamboo in the enclosures at the sanctuary. This is exactly the kind of feverish adulation Albanese is keen to attach himself to, personally choosing to make the city a two-day element of this China tour. Pandas are viral magic on social media, and the audience for these images isn't just Australian; the pictures were also broadcast on Chinese state television. 'Slow living' diplomacy The Opposition said the whole trip appeared to become "indulgent" and worried it looked too cosy with the CCP, but Albanese embraces "slow living" when it comes to diplomacy. He walked a section of the Kokoda Track with PNG leader James Marape last year. In 2022, he chose to go beyond Bali and visited Makassar in Sulawesi with then Indonesian President Joko Widodo. In June, he chose to stopover on a trip to the US in Fiji and have dinner with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, rather than the standard fly-by Hawaii refuelling option to save time. With such a buoyant majority in the lower house, this approach isn't likely to change dramatically in the short term. It's often the tightness of the polls that makes leaders anxious about being perceived to be more focused on international jetsetting than the plight of their constituents. The Australian diplomatic advice is that having a personal relationship means world leaders can pick up the phone to avoid misunderstandings, particularly on the military front, meaning the deterrence-based arms build-up in the region can be calibrated rather than keeping the Indo-Pacific on edge and fearing conflict. Although many key engagements have been ticked off Albanese's foreign policy to-do list, one giant item remains unresolved: the first face to face meeting with the commander-in-chief of Australia's most important security ally. Whether it happens at a meeting of Quad leaders in India, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the G20 in South Africa or on an official visit to Washington, it's highly unlikely Australian press photographers would be barred from that official handshake. What happens after Albanese and Donald Trump grip and grin for the first time is the prime minister's biggest diplomatic test to come.
