Bro handshakes and bear hugs as Albanese meets Biden and Trudeau
By David Crowe
Lima: Anthony Albanese has been greeted with bear hugs and bro handshakes at a regional summit where he renewed his friendship with outgoing United States President Joe Biden, as the prime minister backed the security alliance with the US amid him being praised in the Chinese media.
The prime minister approached Biden in the first moments of the formal talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru so they could have a personal conversation before the session began, while other leaders looked on.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese greets US President Joe Biden at APEC leaders’ informal dialogue.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
But the prime minister did not have a chance to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who skipped the summit’s first session without explanation.
Biden gave Albanese a broad smile as the two talked and laughed while other leaders took their seats.
“President Biden was in good form,” Albanese said at a press conference later. “I don’t talk about the detail of private discussions, as you’d be aware, but it was friendly. I regard him as a good friend personally, but also a good friend of Australia.”
While Biden is leaving office after a stunning defeat for the Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris at the November 5 election, Albanese said the president was pleased to be at the summit.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted Albanese with a handshake and a bear hug.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“He was upbeat,” he said. “He is, of course, continuing to work in the interest of the United States.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted Albanese with a bro handshake – their arms angled up, hands locked – and turned this into a bear hug given their shared progressive politics.
Albanese also shared a bear hug with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who began his career in student politics as a firebrand of the left, much like the prime minister.
The Chinese media has lauded the Australian government in recent days, with the China Daily saying Albanese had pursued “strategic autonomy” between the US and China. But the prime minister responded with a message about his support for the US.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, arrive for the APEC gala dinner in Lima.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“I don’t subscribe to China Daily,” Albanese said when asked about the report. “The improvement in trade between Australia and China is about Australian jobs.”
Albanese said he had rebuilt a commercial relationship with China and lifted trade after relations soured under former prime minister Scott Morrison. He argued he was doing this without weakening Australia’s longstanding alliance with the US.
He emphasised that he had cemented the AUKUS agreement with the US and Britain on nuclear-powered submarines after becoming prime minister, overcoming criticism of the pact from within the Labor Party.
“It’s in Australia’s national interest to support and continue to engage with our allies in the United States,” he said. “I’m a strong supporter of AUKUS, I have engaged with my party to ensure that that support is ongoing.”
China’s president Xi Jinping (centre), during a performance at the APEC dinner.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The two-day summit in Lima is shadowed by uncertainty about what Trump will do when he takes office on January 20, while Xi is holding a flurry of one-on-one meetings with regional leaders.
Xi will meet Biden in Lima after the APEC summit ends at the weekend, in their last meeting before the US president steps down. Albanese is expected to speak to Xi when the two attend the G20 summit in Brazil on Monday and Tuesday. Xi held a bilateral meeting with New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon on Friday, local time, and held similar formal talks with leaders from Chile, Japan, Singapore and South Korea on the sidelines of the summit.
While the Chinese president missed the first day of the summit in Lima, he appeared in the evening for the formal dinner at the presidential palace, with a meal including quinoa, ceviche and Chinese fusion.
Albanese attended the dinner with his fiancée, Jodie Haydon. After three days in Peru, the Australian delegation will head to Brazil for the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
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