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China relations

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

‘We’ll determine our defence policy’: PM pushes back on Hegseth pressure over China

Comments from the defence secretary have also drawn a furious response from Beijing, which says the US risks turning the Asia-Pacific region into a “powder keg”.

  • Lisa Visentin

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Defence Minister Richard Marles has backed in a speech by his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in which he declared America’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific and warned China posed a real and potentially imminent threat.

‘Peace through strength’: Marles backs Hegseth after ‘stark’ China warning

Australia’s defence minister has endorsed a blistering address by his US counterpart warning Beijing that America is ready to “fight and win decisively” if it seeks military conflict over Taiwan.

  • Lisa Visentin
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaking in Singapore on Saturday.

‘Real and could be imminent’: Hegseth warns on China threat, says US ready to fight

In a blistering address to Indo-Pacific security officials, the US defence secretary warned China that America is ready to “fight and win decisively” if it seeks military conflict over Taiwan.

  • Lisa Visentin
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia was open to discussions about increasing defence spending after meeting US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore.

‘Wouldn’t put a number on it’: Marles open to raising defence spending after Hegseth meeting

Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed his US counterpart has pushed Australia to increase its defence spending, but would not divulge what figure Washington would like to see.

  • Lisa Visentin
Trucks from Russia and Belarus wait for custom clearance at a parking lot in Manzhouli, a Chinese town on the border of Russia.

Giant dolls, an empty theme park and semi-trailers: The tourist trap that’s now a lifeline for Russia

We arrive in Manzhouli a day before Xi Jinping is to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow. It’s a ghost town, where bored attendants man empty rides. But a dusty carpark nearby tells the real story.

  • Lisa Visentin
The government says it wants the Port of Darwin returned to Australian hands.

‘We want it in Australian hands’: Albanese cool on US bid to buy Darwin Port

The prime minister also downplayed the prospect of joining any international effort to impose sanctions on Israeli politicians.

  • Matthew Knott
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The steel sector generates more than 8 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Pilbara is at risk of becoming a ‘wasteland’. Could green iron help?

As Australia’s iron giants face difficulties maintaining the quality of their supplies, there are fears demand could shrink as Chinese steel mills go green.

  • Simon Johanson and Nick Toscano
Illustration by Joe Benke

It’s a $US450 billion industry, and Australia is in prime position to become a player

There is an accelerating need for nations to establish trusted supply chains for sensitive goods such as AI technology. Australia ticks many boxes.

  • Peter Hartcher
Garment workers in Guangzhou’s “Shein Village” district work through their lunch break to churn out fast fashion destined to be sold on Chinese e-commerce site Pindoudou.

‘Because there is no profit, no one is willing to work’: Inside China’s fast-fashion dilemma

Factory workers in Guangzhou’s ultrafast-fashion district are already counting the costs of the US-China trade war as a 90-day truce came into effect this week.

  • Lisa Visentin
Portrait of Douglas Hsu, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

Taiwan urges Australia to defy China on Trump-proofing trade pact

Taiwan is urging Australia to stare down opposition from Beijing and support its admission to a sweeping regional free trade pact.

  • Matthew Knott

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/china-relations-1n86