Shirtfront Chinese Premier Li Qiang at ASEAN, Anthony Albanese told

Anthony Albanese must speak up for countries at the ASEAN summit who are ‘bearing the brunt of China’s aggression’ when meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, experts say.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Anthony Albanese must speak up for countries like the Philippines at the ASEAN summit that are “bearing the brunt of China’s aggression” when meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the summit in Laos this week, foreign affairs experts say.

The meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday and Friday this week will be an opportunity for international leaders to discuss growing trade and investment, as well as how to face their shared strategic challenges.

Mr Albanese is widely expected to meet with Premier Li as part of his bilateral engagements during the summit, which will be the second time the two leaders have met this year.

However, Strategic Analysis Australia founder Michael Shoebridge said the one-on-one discussion with the Chinese premier needed to be about “more than getting greater access to the Chinese economy”, in reference to Australia’s ongoing campaign for Beijing to lift its ban on some Australian seafood products.

“I hope it’s more than happy snaps and chat about lobsters,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“He needs to use simple, clear language about what China is doing, which would express solidarity with countries being challenged by China’s aggression, like the Philippines.

“He could even note the connection between key Chinese exports like electric vehicles and renewables for economic security, which is something that is on the public agenda in North America and across Europe and in Southeast Asia.”

While the Biden administration last month announced a new ban on Chinese electric vehicles for security reasons, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said Australia would not be following the US policy.

Australia has only banned the use of Chinese-made security cameras from government departments, but has faced calls to introduce similar restrictions on products including solar panels and EVs.

The issue of China’s incursions into the territories of nations like the Philippines in the South China Sea is expected to be raised at ASEAN, with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos making clear any loss of Filipino life as a result of maritime aggression would be considered an act of war.

Mr Albanese is not expected to meet with Mr Marcos.

Lowy Institute Southeast Asia director Susannah Patton said the ASEAN summit must also grapple with contentious issues including the conflict in the Middle East, which has divided Australian politics, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

She noted that the event would be the first for several leaders including Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and that, despite turning down the invitation to attend such events in the past, Myanmar would be making an appearance at the summit.

But given the US was not sending any senior leaders, she predicted concrete on pressing issues would “be sorely lacking”.