Sparks fly between Aus, US and China

A complex political love triangle has emerged.

A complex political love triangle has emerged.

There's a new throuple raising eyebrows on the geo-political scene. 

Sparks are flying between Australia, China and the US. 

Freshly minted prime minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed the Australia-US alliance as “our most important” relationship, the US has threatened military action against China if they "take" Taiwan by force, and China wants to mend its shattered relationship with Australia. 

This is all culminating at the Quad leaders' summit in Tokyo, where Australia's newly sworn-in prime minister touched down via private jet on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with President Joe Biden in Tokyo. Picture: Getty

And what will the US, Indian, Japanese and Australian leaders talk about at this summit? China.

This includes China's new security agreement with the Solomon Islands, its pushy-ness in the Indo-Pacific region and its ongoing threat towards Taiwan.

Not only that, there will also be many three and four way handshakes.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with PM Kishida @JPN_PMO, @POTUS and @narendramodi at the Quad Summit in Tokyo. We affirmed our shared commitment to the Quad, and to a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific. I look forward to hosting Quad Leaders in Australia in 2023. pic.twitter.com/pQ97B1nufQ

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 24, 2022

Albanese, fresh off the polls (and the plane), has already signed Australia up to a new 'club' alongside our Quad members.

Led by the US, this 13-country-strong Asia-Pacific economic alliance will come up with rules for "preferential trading" - agreements between two or more countries for goods, services and investment - beyond China's orbit.

It's part of a push back on China's growing dominance in the region.

"We know that China is seeking to exert more influence in the Pacific, and we know that climate change is such an important issue. I share the view that this is a national security issue," Albanese said.

Albo was also quick to reposition Australia's official message about climate change.

Albanese said Australia looked forward tackling "climate change and the security of our region."

"Our cooperation is built on the values that we share, commitment to representative democracy, the rule of law and the right to live in peace," he said.

He stressed the importance of climate changed which he said was "the main economic and security challenge for the island countries of the Pacific" and said the government was committed to leading "by example".

China is very much not about 'the Quad'.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of the "Cold War mentality" of America and its allies on Monday, which he said was undermining Asia's "peace and prosperity".

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Picture: Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images

Beijing was made angrier by comments from US president Biden about his "commitment" to Taiwan.

At a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday, Biden said Washington would intervene militarily if China attempted to take Taiwan by force. Biden said Beijing was "flirting with danger" in relation to Taiwan and it would "not (be) appropriate" if China took Taiwan by force.

Meanwhile, Australia's new leadership is trying to reconnect with our "Pacific family". 

At the Quad summit, Albanese will present his new government’s plans to re-engage with Southeast Asian countries through a $470m foreign aid partnership and a new special envoy for the region in addition to a $525m plan to boost ties with Pacific countries.

In her first public message as Foreign Minister, Penny Wong said a Labor government would help address the climate crisis and pandemic recovery in the Pacific, referring to our "pacific family" five times. 

On my first day as Foreign Minister, I want to share some thoughts with our Pacific family.
Our region faces unprecedented challenges, but we will face them together.
We will achieve our shared aspirations together.
And we will listen because we care what the Pacific has to say. pic.twitter.com/he6p8G46eq

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 23, 2022

Meanwhile, China is talking to us again?

China acknowledged us for the first time in almost three years.  

China's Premier Li Keqiang congratulated Albanese on becoming Prime Minister in a "formal letter". It broke a long freeze in senior government communication from Beijing to Australia.

In the communications, Mr Li called it a healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations and was conducive to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

He threw back to Labor decision to break ties with Taipei and recognise the People's Republic of China, saying they “made the right choice”. 

China’s official party state media on Monday said that Beijing was hopeful about improving the relationship, which they said had broken down because of the previous government's perceived “anti-China crusade”.

On the sidelines of the Quad and before his bilateral chat with Biden on Tuesday, Albanese said he is looking forward to a more "respectful" relationship with China.