Australian news and politics live: Albanese to visit Great Wall of China, signs trade agreements
Elbridge Colby, the man reviewing AUKUS inside the Pentagon, thinks he can replicate MAGA's success in scolding, berating and bullying Europe into lifting defence spending in Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
But his cut-and-paste approach may not only fail, but backfire.
This is because his hectoring approach fails to recalibrate for the important ways that Europe differs from Asia.
Mr Colby's demands that Indo-Pacific allies raise defence spending are legitimate in Australia's case.
But he is far from the first person to raise the issue.
Read more.
Today marks a historic highlight in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to China, with a walk along the Great Wall planned before he heads to Chengdu.
This follows a landmark series of meetings in Beijing's Great Hall with President Xi Jinping, Chairman Zhao Leji, and Premier Li Qiang, where Albanese emphasised Australia's ongoing commitment to engaging China in areas of mutual benefit, while not shying away from disagreement when needed.
The diplomatic talks have already yielded tangible results for both nations. On Tuesday, six new agreements were signed, including one that will soon see sweet, tangy Chinese jujubes available on Australian shelves—while, for the first time, apples from mainland Australia will be exported to China.
'In recent years, co-operation has encountered headwinds,' Chinese Premier Li admitted as the two countries move to deepen trade cooperation amid broader global uncertainty.
Albanese echoed these sentiments, stating, 'My government believes unequivocally in free and fair trade as a driver of global growth, and I know the discussions that we've had today have been very constructive'.
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