Opinion

I was ambassador in China. Here’s what Xi will want to discuss with Albo

When the prime minister meets the head of the world’s biggest political machine, it is more than anything else an opportunity for exercising statesmanship in Australia’s national interest.

Geoff RabyColumnist

Jul 8, 2025 – 5.00am

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Membership of the Chinese Communist Party has just exceeded 100 million. It has long been the largest political party in world history.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with President Xi Jinping, he is not only meeting the head of the second-largest economy in the world in nominal dollars, and by far the largest in purchasing power parity terms, but also the head of the biggest political party the world has ever seen. This matters.

Geoff Raby was Australia’s ambassador to China, 2007-2011. His book Great Game On: the contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy was published in November by Melbourne University Press.