Walk the line
Anthony Albanese’s China trip — with Australia’s business elite in tow — underscores the tricky balance between trade and strategic loyalties.
Every Australian prime minister since John Howard has had to tread a fine line — maintaining the relationship with our closest security ally, the United States, without jeopardising our lucrative commodity exports to America’s strategic rival, China.
Anthony Albanese is no different, but he faces this challenge at a time when America’s leadership has never been more unpredictable and when China seems eager to capitalise on that instability.
Albanese is yet to meet US President Donald Trump but is headed to China this weekend, where he will hold talks with China’s Xi Jinping for the fourth time. He is taking a high-powered delegation of business leaders with him.
Our political correspondent Finn McHugh obtained the full list of attendees, which includes members of Australia’s corporate elite such as Fortescue’s billionaire founder and executive chairman Andrew Forrest, Macquarie CEO Shemara Wikramanayake, as well as BHP and Rio Tinto’s most senior local executives. Curiously, no one from the technology sector is included.
