China provides reality check for Forrest’s green iron dream

A domestic green iron industry might mean Australia has to pour in more public funds than the Chinese government, an impossible feat.

Fortescue founder Andrew Forrest was front and centre at a Shanghai press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Dominic Lorrimer

Primrose RiordanAssociate editor

Jul 25, 2025 – 5.07pm

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Watching Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s press conference during his trip to Beijing last week, one might be convinced that Andrew Forrest had a ministerial role.

Fortescue’s executive chairman was called on multiple times to help answer questions, as Albanese offered up the stage after a dialogue between the companies and Chinese steelmakers on “green steel”.

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Primrose RiordanAssociate editorPrimrose Riordan covers private companies and family offices from the AFR's Sydney newsroom. Primrose was previously a correspondent for the Financial Times and covered foreign affairs and politics in Canberra. Primrose has won multiple awards for her journalism including from The National Press Club, SABEW in the US and Press Gazette in the UK. Message Primrose on Signal: https://tinyurl.com/PrimroseSignal