Penny Wong to meet Quad counterparts in Washington

Australia’s chief diplomat is going to Washington amid concerns about Anthony Albanese’s handling of the US alliance.

Australia’s chief diplomat will meet her Quad counterparts in Washington this week as the Trump administration looks to ramp up pressure on China.

The Quad, made up of Australia, India, Japan and the US, is a partnership broadly seen as a check on China’s economic and military might.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the upcoming dialogue reflected the challenges facing the Indo Pacific.

“This will be the second Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting within six months, reflecting the importance of our partnership and the strategic circumstances confronting our region and the world,” she said in a statement.

“I look forward to engaging with my Quad counterparts as we strengthen cooperation to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is meeting her Quad counterparts in Washington this week. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Senator Wong also said she would “meet separately with each of my counterparts … to progress bilateral cooperation”.

The meeting comes as pressure mounts on the Albanese government to bolster Australia’s alliance with the US.

Nearly six months have passed since Donald Trump’s inauguration and Anthony Albanese is yet to secure an in-person meeting with the US President.

Australian producers have been slugged with tariffs on most exports to the US, including duties of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium, and doubts loom large about the Trump administration’s commitment to AUKUS after it launched a snap review of the defence pact.

The Albanese government has also refused to budge after Washington’s call to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP amid alarm over China’s military build-up.

In her statement, Senator Wong stressed the US “is our closest ally and principal strategic partner”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong (right) will hold bilateral talks with her Quad counterparts Marco Rubio (second-right), Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (second-left) and Iwaya Takeshi (left). Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP

“Our alliance contributes to the peace, prosperity and stability of our countries and the region we share,” she said.

“We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests.”

Former US president Joe Biden was last year caught on a hot mic telling his fellow Quad leaders that China was “testing” them, giving a rare glimpse into the candid nature of talks between some of the region’s key players.

“We believe (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimise the turbulence in China’s diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest,” Mr Biden said.

“China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region, and it’s true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits.

“It’s true across the scope of our relationship, including on economic and technology issues.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and US State Secretary Marco Rubio have both said the Australia-US alliance is strong. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP

Mr Biden’s bluntness was a stark contrast of how leaders of all Quad countries have tried to frame the strategic four-way dialogue, often deflecting suggestions that it exists to counter China.

The hawkish approach to Beijing has been adopted by the Trump administration, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this month warning of an “imminent” threat to the Indo Pacific.

Mr Hegseth said China could invade Taiwan as early as 2027.

Such a move would deal a major blow to global supply of semiconductors – crucial components in modern tech – and massively disrupt vital trade routes.

“Let me be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” Mr Hegseth said.

“There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent.

“We hope not but certainly could be.”

Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the conference, he directly asked Australia to boost the defence budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

Originally published as Penny Wong to meet Quad counterparts in Washington