Description: Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, launched his six – day visit to China aiming to further improve bilateral trade ties and discuss regional security concerns with China’s President Xi Jinping. Albanese stated that despite significant bilateral differences, trade ties between the two countries remain stable with the development of tourism initiatives currently being the priority. He also added that Australia does not seek strategic alignment with China, as their global and regional interests substantially diverge. Executives from several large companies such as Rio Tinto, Macquarie Bank, BHP and Fortescue were also part of the government delegation signaling potential for high – level economic cooperation. During the visit Albanese would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the Chairman of the National People’s Congress.
Impact: Albanese’s visit to China demonstrates that Australia remains dedicated in defying the aggressive, conditional and assertive US foreign policy while focusing on forwarding its national interests with unconventional partners such as China. Elementary strategic differences still remain in place, such as Australia’s extensive involvement in the AUKUS agreement with the US and the UK and China’s consistent military and naval buildup in the region. Firm economic cooperation between the two countries incentivizes other forms of strategic cooperation and normalization of bilateral ties. Australia could potentially play a crucial role in deescalating regional tensions through diplomatic engagements with China, while China would considerably benefit from further normalization of ties with Australia while opening another venue for economic cooperation.