Albanese speaks with Chinese Premier on Iran fuel crisis ahead of Singapore trip
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The news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday evening regarding Australia’s energy security ahead of his visit to Singapore, where he plans to discuss securing trade in essential supplies including fuel amid supply disruption caused by the war in Iran.
The context: In a post on X, Albanese wrote: “Now more than ever, our relationships with our neighbours matter. Tonight I spoke with Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China.
“We talked about the importance of energy security, and how we can work together for the benefit of our nations and our region. We will continue to engage in dialogue to maintain our stable and constructive relationship.”
The Prime Minister’s office said in a statement the two leaders spoke about the Iran crisis and its impact on fuel and energy suppliers, according to media reports. “The Prime Minister and Premier Li agreed to increase government-to-government communication so that Australia and China are both working in support of regional energy security.
“Engagement and dialogue between Australia and China at the highest levels are central to a mature, stable and constructive relationship. In Australia’s relationship with China, we will continue to cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest.”
The comments come after Albanese’s office announced his trip to Singapore has been brought forward. The Prime Minister will travel to Singapore from 9 to 11 April 2026 where he will meet with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to continue discussions on securing trade in essential supplies, including petroleum oils, such as diesel and liquefied natural gas.
“We do not need to wait for this global crisis to be over, we have to build resilience into the system…We are taking every practical action, including working closely with our international partners, to shield our nation from the worst of this global uncertainty”, Albanese said ahead of the trip.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is expected to speak with counterparts from Egypt and Turkey on Tuesday evening to emphasise Australia’s support for deescalation.
The sources: Albanese X, Reuters, The Guardian, SMH
