Albanese walks the Great Wall amid high-stakes China-US balancing act
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Albanese to cap China trip with panda diplomacy
Pandas and bionic ears are on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's agenda as his six-day tour of China reaches its final leg. Mr Albanese touched down in Chengdu, in China's southwest on Wednesday afternoon, where he announced the Sichuan capital would be given hosting rights to an Australian Open wildcard play-off tournament for a second year running. In the sweltering 37C heat, the prime minister turned down the offer of a hit on centre court, instead hailing the role of sport in boosting people-to-people and cultural links between Australia and China. "I know that my dear friend (former professional tennis player) Glenn Busby comes here and coaches and spends a lot of time here each year, and he tells me that China will dominate the sport in the years to come," he said. Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million residents, is best known outside of China as the home of giant pandas. Mr Albanese will visit a breeding research centre at the forefront of efforts to save the species from extinction. As well as a beloved cultural icon, pandas are a central part of China's efforts to exert soft power in the world. In a meeting with local party secretary Wang Xiaohui, Mr Albanese said pandas "have been such an important feature" of building positive relations between Australia and China. He noted the two new pandas who were loaned to Adelaide Zoo in 2024 in the latest example of panda diplomacy. "I thank this province for our two newest guests who have been so well received," he said. But Chengdu has another, arguably more impactful, connection to Australia. Cochlear, the Australian hearing device company, bases a manufacturing and research plant in the city, which the prime minister will visit on Thursday. More than 50,000 Chinese patients have had hearing loss restored by a Cochlear device, making it one of the company's largest markets. But with a population of 1.4 billion, there is plenty of scope for expansion "Chengdu is home to inspiring examples of world-leading Australian and Chinese co-operation in science, technology, research and education," Mr Albanese will say at a medtech luncheon. Both governments had a responsibility to invest in research and an opportunity to deepen co-operation in medical manufacturing, he will say. "This also depends on continuing to break down barriers by supporting the free and fair trade that enables Australian medtech companies to access the market here in China." Pandas and bionic ears are on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's agenda as his six-day tour of China reaches its final leg. Mr Albanese touched down in Chengdu, in China's southwest on Wednesday afternoon, where he announced the Sichuan capital would be given hosting rights to an Australian Open wildcard play-off tournament for a second year running. In the sweltering 37C heat, the prime minister turned down the offer of a hit on centre court, instead hailing the role of sport in boosting people-to-people and cultural links between Australia and China. "I know that my dear friend (former professional tennis player) Glenn Busby comes here and coaches and spends a lot of time here each year, and he tells me that China will dominate the sport in the years to come," he said. Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million residents, is best known outside of China as the home of giant pandas. Mr Albanese will visit a breeding research centre at the forefront of efforts to save the species from extinction. As well as a beloved cultural icon, pandas are a central part of China's efforts to exert soft power in the world. In a meeting with local party secretary Wang Xiaohui, Mr Albanese said pandas "have been such an important feature" of building positive relations between Australia and China. He noted the two new pandas who were loaned to Adelaide Zoo in 2024 in the latest example of panda diplomacy. "I thank this province for our two newest guests who have been so well received," he said. But Chengdu has another, arguably more impactful, connection to Australia. Cochlear, the Australian hearing device company, bases a manufacturing and research plant in the city, which the prime minister will visit on Thursday. More than 50,000 Chinese patients have had hearing loss restored by a Cochlear device, making it one of the company's largest markets. But with a population of 1.4 billion, there is plenty of scope for expansion "Chengdu is home to inspiring examples of world-leading Australian and Chinese co-operation in science, technology, research and education," Mr Albanese will say at a medtech luncheon. Both governments had a responsibility to invest in research and an opportunity to deepen co-operation in medical manufacturing, he will say. "This also depends on continuing to break down barriers by supporting the free and fair trade that enables Australian medtech companies to access the market here in China." Pandas and bionic ears are on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's agenda as his six-day tour of China reaches its final leg. Mr Albanese touched down in Chengdu, in China's southwest on Wednesday afternoon, where he announced the Sichuan capital would be given hosting rights to an Australian Open wildcard play-off tournament for a second year running. In the sweltering 37C heat, the prime minister turned down the offer of a hit on centre court, instead hailing the role of sport in boosting people-to-people and cultural links between Australia and China. "I know that my dear friend (former professional tennis player) Glenn Busby comes here and coaches and spends a lot of time here each year, and he tells me that China will dominate the sport in the years to come," he said. Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million residents, is best known outside of China as the home of giant pandas. Mr Albanese will visit a breeding research centre at the forefront of efforts to save the species from extinction. As well as a beloved cultural icon, pandas are a central part of China's efforts to exert soft power in the world. In a meeting with local party secretary Wang Xiaohui, Mr Albanese said pandas "have been such an important feature" of building positive relations between Australia and China. He noted the two new pandas who were loaned to Adelaide Zoo in 2024 in the latest example of panda diplomacy. "I thank this province for our two newest guests who have been so well received," he said. But Chengdu has another, arguably more impactful, connection to Australia. Cochlear, the Australian hearing device company, bases a manufacturing and research plant in the city, which the prime minister will visit on Thursday. More than 50,000 Chinese patients have had hearing loss restored by a Cochlear device, making it one of the company's largest markets. But with a population of 1.4 billion, there is plenty of scope for expansion "Chengdu is home to inspiring examples of world-leading Australian and Chinese co-operation in science, technology, research and education," Mr Albanese will say at a medtech luncheon. Both governments had a responsibility to invest in research and an opportunity to deepen co-operation in medical manufacturing, he will say. "This also depends on continuing to break down barriers by supporting the free and fair trade that enables Australian medtech companies to access the market here in China." Pandas and bionic ears are on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's agenda as his six-day tour of China reaches its final leg. Mr Albanese touched down in Chengdu, in China's southwest on Wednesday afternoon, where he announced the Sichuan capital would be given hosting rights to an Australian Open wildcard play-off tournament for a second year running. In the sweltering 37C heat, the prime minister turned down the offer of a hit on centre court, instead hailing the role of sport in boosting people-to-people and cultural links between Australia and China. "I know that my dear friend (former professional tennis player) Glenn Busby comes here and coaches and spends a lot of time here each year, and he tells me that China will dominate the sport in the years to come," he said. Chengdu, a provincial hub home to 21 million residents, is best known outside of China as the home of giant pandas. Mr Albanese will visit a breeding research centre at the forefront of efforts to save the species from extinction. As well as a beloved cultural icon, pandas are a central part of China's efforts to exert soft power in the world. In a meeting with local party secretary Wang Xiaohui, Mr Albanese said pandas "have been such an important feature" of building positive relations between Australia and China. He noted the two new pandas who were loaned to Adelaide Zoo in 2024 in the latest example of panda diplomacy. "I thank this province for our two newest guests who have been so well received," he said. But Chengdu has another, arguably more impactful, connection to Australia. Cochlear, the Australian hearing device company, bases a manufacturing and research plant in the city, which the prime minister will visit on Thursday. More than 50,000 Chinese patients have had hearing loss restored by a Cochlear device, making it one of the company's largest markets. But with a population of 1.4 billion, there is plenty of scope for expansion "Chengdu is home to inspiring examples of world-leading Australian and Chinese co-operation in science, technology, research and education," Mr Albanese will say at a medtech luncheon. Both governments had a responsibility to invest in research and an opportunity to deepen co-operation in medical manufacturing, he will say. "This also depends on continuing to break down barriers by supporting the free and fair trade that enables Australian medtech companies to access the market here in China."
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Some tourists are avoiding Trump's America, but we aren't
When Traveller columnist Ben Groundwater wrote a piece earlier this year, saying that the Trump administration would not stop him from visiting the US, he received an overwhelming response. Of the record 525 comments on Groundwater's column, the vast majority took the opposite view. Not only were many of the readers critical of the idea of visiting the US under president Trump, many were critical of Groundwater for even suggesting it. At a time when visitor numbers to the US from various other countries are reportedly plummeting, then, it might come as a surprise to see that Australians are not only continuing to visit, are actually going there in greater numbers than before Trump's election. The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that, in May, the number of Australian residents returning from short trips to the US was a little over 69,000 – an increase of more than 5000, or about 8 per cent, on the same time last year. What's more, the numbers were up in every key category – those travelling a holiday (up 12 per cent compared with last year); visiting friends or relatives (up 15 per cent) or for business (up 8 per cent). It's true that the numbers for April showed a decline in Australian visitors, year-on-year, for the first time since borders reopened after the pandemic, but so far that amounts to a blip, not a trend. Overall this year the number of Australians visiting the US is up about 3 per cent and in May the US was our fourth most-visited country, behind only Indonesia, New Zealand and Japan. The number of Australians heading to the US still remains below pre-COVID levels, one of only two countries in our top 10 to have not surpassed 2019's numbers (New Zealand is the other one), but this might indicate that the strength of the US dollar has been a bigger factor in deterring visitors than any political issues. Australians have long been a sought-after market for US tourist destinations. We are among the top 10 sources of visitors and tend to stay longer and spend more money than tourists from other countries. And it seems we are continuing to go there in droves. This comes even as a series of horror stories are reported about Australians and others being denied entry to the US for seemingly arbitrary reasons.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The head-turning item I take to Bali to ensure I get home in one piece
For the five years that I lived on and off in Bali, I travelled to the island with a piece of hand luggage more suited to an F1 driver than a writer. Always a good conversation starter, it was a white, full-face Daft Punk-esque motorbike helmet that was bought in Australia and thus met our strict safety standards. The theory was that it would help my luck. I've never once (knock on wood), had an accident on my scooter, but if I did, I knew I would be giving myself the best chance at avoiding serious head injury. To this day, if I'm travelling to Bali and plan to ride a scooter for any decent amount of time, I travel with my own helmet. The peak season for Aussies travelling to Bali is in July and August, as winter begins to frost our surfboards and chill our beaches. Bali is one of our most-loved destinations, but it's also a magnet for misadventure, whether it's motorbike accidents, theft, alcohol poisoning or dengue fever. There are some simple ways you can help protect yourself from something going awry. Travel insurance is non-negotiable. If you ride on a scooter, including on the back of motorbike ride-shares Gojek or Grab, you need motorbike insurance. Cover-More offers two add-on motorbike insurance covers to its policies from $24. Unlike many other providers, its introductory coverage requires you to hold a standard Australian driver's licence rather than a motorbike licence, but there are certain clauses including that the bike's engine needs to be under 250cc. Commonsense is also deeply underrated. I roll my eyes at the masses cruising around Bali on scooters sans shirt and helmet. Cover up with a thick denim shirt. It makes you less of a target for on-bike thieves (not to mention sexual assault) and gives a small layer of protection between you and the bitumen. On the topic of petty theft, always keep your bag in the compartment under the seat and never ride with a phone flailing about. Throughout the years, there have been many cases of bag, jewellery and phone snatching on motorbikes, leaving victims badly injured on the road. Second on the danger list in Bali is alcohol poisoning. This is a serious issue across parts of the developing world including South-East Asia, and has been thrust into the spotlight after an incident at a hostel in Laos last year that left six tourists, including two young Australians, dead. The best way to avoid methanol poisoning? I have a sweeping rule, and I stick to it. Don't drink anything other than beer. You'll also be safe with pre-mixed drinks such as local hard-seltzer brand Santai Seltzer. If you fancy cocktails or wine, don't consume them at the type of place where Trevor is thrashing his lungs out to Sweet Child O' Mine in thongs and a singlet. Go to an establishment that specialises in craft cocktails or wine, such as chef Will Meyrick's new Buzo Bali in Seminyak ( or wine bistro Mosto in Canggu ( One of the biggest risks in Bali right now is also its most insidious. There has been a surge in mosquito-borne dengue fever cases on the island, and it's not taken as seriously as it should be; second or third infections are more likely to be fatal.
