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Anthony Albanese is in China this week, talking about trade and tourism.

It’s the great diplomatic two-step where the Prime Minister smiles sweetly, shakes hands, and pretends not to notice the armed warships idling just off our coast.

To be fair, China IS our largest trading partner and our second-largest source of tourists.

Which is great news if your definition of “healthy relationship” includes economic dependency on a regime that arrests journalists, surveils students, and threatens to take over Taiwan like it’s asking for extra dumplings.

Because if you close your eyes, cover your ears, and whisper “iron ore” and “steel” like it’s an economic rosary, the geopolitical threat of the Chinese Communist Party apparently disappears.

CCP and Australia’s Defence

In Shanghai today, the PM was beaming like a Year 10 student on an excursion as he waxed lyrical about steel manufacturing and the glories of bilateral cooperation.

But mention national defence and the threat posed by China, and Albanese got the body language of a man who had just sat on a cactus…

He bristled and he wriggled at every mention of the US alliance.

And why not? After all, nothing ruins a good trade junket like being reminded that the people you’re clinking glasses with are also pointing warships in your direction.

At the very same time that our Prime Minister is in China, the Chinese are spying on our joint military exercises with the US and Japan off the coast of northern Australia.

And naturally, Anthony Albanese pretended that this was all very natural.

Spying on the Australian military is just one of those things our friends do from time to time, apparently.

If Albanese were any more relaxed about the Chinese threat, he’d be promising not to even mention to Xi Jinping that Australia wants our Port of Darwin back unless Xi specifically asks.

Actually, that’s exactly what he said…

“If it’s raised, our position is very clear and I’m sure that the president is very clear and is knowledge of that.”

Ah, so we’re playing it cool. Like a hostage hoping the kidnapper won’t notice he’s chewing through the ropes.

Albanese Yet to Meet with Donald Trump

It was the same when Albanese was asked about Donald Trump – a man who, say what you like – at least has the moral clarity to call out China for what it is: a hostile, authoritarian regime with global ambitions, and zero patience for weakness.

Albanese, who can organise a six-day tour of Communist China but can’t arrange a coffee with Donald Trump, was asked if he was any closer to a meeting with the President of the United States.

He replied…

“Oh look, I’m focused here in China.”

Well, isn’t that exactly the point?

The PM is, by his own admission, focused on China while the relationship with our key ally is increasingly in question.

Then the PM got defensive. He explained that Tony Abbott, Malcolm Fraser and Kevin Rudd had visited China before visiting the US.

It was a fascinating history lesson.

The difference, of course, is that Australia’s relationship with our key ally wasn’t in question when Abbott was PM.

Albanese then explained…

“As much as I understand the fascination that is there, I’ve met with US representatives, our Australian Government ministers have been to the US and I’ve been to the US just a couple of weeks ago.”

Well that’s the point. The PM has met with representatives of the US. He just can’t, or won’t, get a meeting with the leader of the US.

I note that King Charles, who doesn’t even have a mobile phone, can get a meeting with Donald Trump.

The White House has confirmed that Trump will spend two days with the King, in England, in September.

But Albanese was quick to counter…

“I have had three constructive phone conversations.”

And, I had a constructive phone conversation with the Qantas call centre earlier today. But I’m still seated in 28F for my upcoming flight. I digress.

Pressed further as to when he would meet with Trump in person, the PM replied…

“I look forward to that happening before the end of the year. G20, Quad, APEC, a range of meetings as well as, of course, the potential for another visit to the US.”

Albanese looks forward to a meeting with Trump which could happen at any time, or not at all. Much like Chinese promises to respect international law.

The greatest irony in the Prime Minister’s comments from China today came when he spoke about how important it was to get business leaders from Australia in the same room as business leaders from China.

He told journalists…

“At the end of the day, people to people relationships are so important. The relationships these business people have with their Chinese counterparts I’ve just seen first hand.”

On that point, the PM was exactly right. At the end of the day, people to people relationships are so important.

So what does it say that he is having yet another person to person meeting with Xi Jinping tomorrow.

But hasn’t had – and shows no urgency in having – any person to person meeting with the leader of the US?

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Republished with thanks to The James Macpherson Report.

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Image via Petty Officer 1st Class Rebecca Wolfbrandt/Wikimedia Commons.