Scott Morrison invited to White House for state dinner

It’s the first in more than a decade — Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been invited to a state dinner at the White House. It comes as the US relationship with other key allies, including the UK and Germany, turns frosty.

Scott Morrison will be wined and dined at the White House at a special dinner with Donald Trump in a major coup for Australia.

Our Prime Minister has accepted an invitation from the US President to visit the country in mid-September, including a state dinner in Mr Morrison’s honour.

The invitation from Mr Trump formally came this week, but it is understood discussions have been taking place for weeks. It will be the first time a US president has held a state dinner for an Australian PM at the White House since John ­Howard more than a decade ago.

The events are held only for foreign heads of state and are usually attended by ­hundreds of guests, including members of the US ­Congress and senior government officials.

Mr Morrison’s wife, Jenny, and First Lady Melania Trump will also attend.

It is another sign of the burgeoning friendship between Mr Morrison and Mr Trump after they hit it off two weeks ago at the G20 summit in Japan.

Scott Morrison and Donald Trump at the G20 this year. Picture: Kazuhiro Nogi/Getty Images

The pair’s state dinner will be the first such event in more than a decade.

The pair dined together in Osaka for a high-level working dinner and Mr Morrison successfully lobbied the US President to join ­efforts on a global crackdown on social media giants.

The trip in September places Australia in a good position with the US at a time when the heads of state of other major allies — including the UK and Germany — have frostier relationships with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump praised Mr Morrison’s shock election win on May 18, likening it to his own presidential victory in 2016. The US President has also praised Australia’s immigration and border protection policies in recent months.

Mr Morrison has begun on a far friendlier footing with Mr Trump than his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, who famously had a testy phone exchange with the President over a refugee swap deal.

The state dinner comes at a time when it is vital to keep the ear of the President as the US engages in a trade war with Australia’s biggest trading partner, China.

Mr Trump has only held a state dinner for one other world leader, French President Emmanuel Macron, last year.

While other Australian PMs have been invited for meals at the White House, this is the first state dinner since Mr Howard and wife Janette dined with George W. and Laura Bush more than a decade ago.

Mr Morrison on the USS Ronald Reagan off the Queensland coast. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

The news comes after Mr Morrison today flew out to visit US troops on the ­aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which is conducting exercises off the Queensland coast. About 25,000 military personnel from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, UK, Canada and Japan are taking part in the biennial Talisman Sabre exercises.

“Australia and the United States see the world through the same eyes,” Mr Morrision said on the deck of the ­imposing vessel, which has 4500 crew. “Or, as president Reagan put it, ‘We both recognise the responsibility of freedom and are prepared to shoulder it squarely.’”

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Mr Morrison said the US was an old and dear friend of Australia and a “great force for good throughout the world”.

“Ships will come, ships will go, politicians will come and go, but our values will endure. They always do,” he said.

“Australia and the United States see the world through the same eyes.”

Mr Morrison described the $4.5 billion aircraft carrier as an “extraordinary symbol not only of American power, but of the United States’ commitment to the many nations of this region and their security”.

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