‘We have not changed our position’: PM brushes off China’s praise

Anthony Albanese responds to glowing endorsement from a prominent Beijing mouthpiece as Chinese President Xi Jinping skips the first gathering of APEC leaders in Peru.

US President Joe Biden, centre, Canada's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, left, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pose at the first gathering of APEC leaders in Peru.

Anthony Albanese has brushed-off praise from a prominent Beijing mouthpiece by declaring he does not “subscribe” to the state-owned China Daily, as Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the first gathering of APEC leaders in Peru in favour of one-on-one meetings.

With Mr Xi not turning-up to the first leaders’ sessions in Lima, the Prime Minister caught-up with outgoing US President Joe Biden, who is attending his final international summits before vacating the White House in January.

Mr Albanese and Mr Biden, who have met formally 11 times since the 2022 election, were photographed grinning and shaking hands ahead of the APEC leaders’ informal dialogue, also attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shakes hands with US President Joe Biden. Picture: APEC

Mr Xi – who will meet for the third and final time with Mr Biden in Peru on Sunday (AEDT) – held a series of bilateral meetings with key Asia-Pacific leaders, including Mr Luxon, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and others.

Mr Albanese, who also met with Mr Wong on the APEC summit sidelines, is expected to meet with Mr Xi at the G20 summit in Brazil. Mr Xi has launched a diplomatic blitz in South America to shore-up support from countries ahead of a likely US-China trade war, after Donald Trump pledged to hit Chinese imports with 60 per cent tariffs, and slug other imports with tariffs up to 20 per cent, including potentially Australian products.

The likely Xi-Albanese meeting follows a China Daily editorial published on the eve of APEC and G20 summits praising the Australian Prime Minister’s “strategic autonomy” amid “unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty” following the election of Mr Trump. The editorial confirms that Beijing has nominated Mr Albanese as the leader other American allies should emulate as they balance relations with China and a second Trump administration.

Ahead of attending the official APEC leaders’ reception event at the Peruvian presidential palace with fiancée Jodie Haydon, Mr Albanese on Saturday (AEDT) said “I don’t subscribe to the China Daily … I can confirm that”.

“What I’ve done with China is work in the way that we said we would before the election. We said we would cooperate where we can and we would disagree where we must and we would engage in our national interests. I’d done that without compromising any of Australia’s national interests,” Mr Albanese said.

“We have not changed our position on any of the key differences that we have. We’ve said both privately and publicly the same things.”

Mr Xi’s Chinese government was previously accused of breaching international trade rules after banning Australian exports following a breakdown in relations with the Morrison government. Since the 2022 election, Beijing has removed most of those trade bans.

Mr Albanese said Mr Biden, who hosted Mr Trump at the White House this week, was “in good form”. The pair will not meet formally at the APEC or G20 summits after recently seeing each other for Quad meetings in Mr Biden’s home state of Delaware.

“I don’t talk about the details of private discussions but it was friendly. I regard him as a good friend personally but also a good friend of Australia. He was upbeat, he was pleased to be here at APEC. He is, of course, continuing to work in the interests of the United States and he will be attending the G20 meeting,” Mr Albanese said.

The Labor leader said improving trade and economic relations with China could be achieved while maintaining close security and investment ties with the US.

“We have an alliance with the United States. It’s an important relationship for us. Our relationship with the United States is very different from our relationship with China, who has a different political system and has different values. It’s in Australia’s national interest to support and continue to engage with our allies in the United States. I’m a strong supporter of AUKUS.

“As a trading nation, we have an interest in trade and we have an interest in Australian jobs being created and boosting Australian prosperity by engaging in our region, including with our major trading partner, which is China.”