Albanese walks a shaky tightrope as he seeks a reset with China
The prime minister's focus for a three-day trip to Australia by Chinese Premier Li Qiang was "dialogue" — but much of the criticism of Albanese's handling of the visit related to words left unsaid.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s strategy on China has been defined by a single word: “dialogue”. And as Chinese Premier Li Qiang — the nation’s second ranking figure — wraps up his Australian tour on Tuesday, relations do seem to be improving under Labor.
But while Chinese tariffs on Australian products are gradually lifting, there's been little progress on other serious issues. Canberra and its closest allies remain alarmed by China’s aggressive posture on the South China Sea and Taiwan, while Beijing is incensed by the AUKUS pact. Foreign interference and the targeting of Chinese dissidents in Australia continue to be a concern.
So walking a tightrope during Li’s three-day trip, Albanese repeatedly leaned on his favourite word.
“Dialogue advances cooperation,” he said. “Addressing our differences without allowing them to define what our relationship is — it’s so important.”
