A performance with a purpose: Biden welcomes Albanese to the top table

The way Joe Biden greeted Anthony Albanese on Tuesday suggested the US president and Australian prime minister will get along just fine.

Biden pointed to Albanese as soon as he saw him arrive for the official photographs at the Quad leaders’ summit on Tuesday. The president put a hand on his arm and greeted him with a warm smile. It was a cheerful and relaxed moment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the host, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a word with US President Joe Biden as they meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Once the formalities were over, Biden drew Albanese in close again. He put his arm over Albanese’s shoulder as they walked toward the meeting room.

Biden, a man who entered the US Congress in 1972, was doing everything he could to make Albanese welcome at the top table, even to the point of bringing humour to the otherwise-serious occasion by joking about the Australian leader’s schedule.

“You got sworn in, you got on a plane and if you fall asleep while you’re here, it’s OK. I don’t know how you’re doing it!” Biden said at the opening of the formal talks.

That drew laughter from around the room, including from Albanese, who flew to Tokyo within three hours of being sworn in as prime minister on Monday morning.

In fact, Biden hammed it up to make sure everyone knew the relationship between the US and Australia was in safe hands on both sides of the Pacific.

Biden pretends to walk out of the meeting as Albanese laughs.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Later, in their formal bilateral meeting, when Albanese spoke about his travel across the US as a young man and revealed he had met with the National Rifle Association, Biden jokingly stood up, pretending to leave their bilateral talks in disgust.

Albanese burst out laughing, as did most others in the room, before Biden reached out to shake his hand. “You’re a brave man,” he said.

Presidents usually want to charm Australian prime ministers. George W. Bush made sure to get along with Kevin Rudd when they met in Washington in 2008, even calling him a man of steel, when everyone knew the president would have preferred John Howard to be there.

Albanese burst out laughing, as did most others in the room, before Biden reached out to shake his hand.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

More than a decade later, Donald Trump held a state dinner to laud Scott Morrison and took him to an enthusiastic rally with supporters in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Biden sought to get along with Morrison as well, even when they were far apart on climate policy.

However, the friendship between Biden and Albanese may run deeper, for the simple reason that the pair share values as Democrat and Labor leaders, including ambitions on climate change.

Albanese wants to host the Quad meeting in Australia next year and told Biden he wanted to visit the US before then – a suggestion the president quickly turned into an invitation.

Albanese, Biden and Modi share a laugh during the group photo at the Quad leaders’ meeting.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Albanese also wants Australia to host a future United Nations climate summit, setting up a moment where he would play a central role in trying to get major economies around the world to commit to deeper cuts to carbon emissions. That would make him a necessary ally for Biden on climate, not just regional security and China.

Those ambitions carry risk, however, because they would raise expectations in Australia about Labor’s climate policy and no doubt step up calls from Greens leader Adam Bandt to phase out Australian coal exports.

Albanese will not support an end to coal exports and has refused to countenance a bigger emissions target. Could he really play host to the climate summit with this stance?

What Biden will want from Albanese will take time to emerge. For now, the president has put to rest the scares about Labor that voters heard during the election campaign. Are Labor politicians trying to cosy up to China? Is Labor deputy Richard Marles really a “Manchurian candidate” ready to betray his country?

Yes, there was an element of theatre in the way Biden and Albanese got along. But it was a performance with a purpose – that the president is not the least bit anxious about the prime minister.

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