Penny Wong in Washington for key talks amid US alliance concerns

Australia’s chief diplomat has touched down in Washington, where a meeting could set the stage for talks between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.

Australia’s chief diplomat has touched down in Washington for a key meeting with her Quad counterparts as the Trump administration looks to ramp up pressure on China.

The Quad, made up of Australia, India, Japan and the US, is a partnership broadly seen as a check on China’s economic and military might.

“Fantastic to arrive in Washington DC ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted on social media, along with a photo of her and Australian ambassador Kevin Rudd.

“Thank you (State Secretary Marco Rubio) for hosting our second meeting in six months.

“Looking forward to discussing how we continue to support a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Fantastic to arrive in Washington DC ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Thank you @SecRubio for hosting our second meeting in six months. Looking forward to discussing how we continue to support a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/aNYL70eASW

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) July 1, 2025

The meeting comes as pressure mounts on the Albanese government to bolster Australia’s alliance with the US.

Six months have passed since Donald Trump’s inauguration and Anthony Albanese is yet to secure an in-person meeting with the US President.

Australian producers have been slugged with tariffs on most exports to the US, including duties of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium, and doubts loom large about the Trump administration’s commitment to AUKUS after it launched a snap review of the defence pact.

The Albanese government has also refused to budge after Washington’s call to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP amid alarm over China’s military build-up.

Unless the Prime Minister books a Washington trip, his next most-likely opportunity to meet Mr Trump is at the Quad leaders summit tipped for September.

In a statement announcing the trip on Sunday, Senator Wong said the US “is our closest ally and principal strategic partner”.

“Our alliance contributes to the peace, prosperity and stability of our countries and the region we share,” she said.

“We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong will have a one-on-one with US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington this week. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP

Former US president Joe Biden was last year caught on a hot mic telling his fellow Quad leaders that China was “testing” them, giving a rare glimpse into the candid nature of talks between some of the region’s key players.

“We believe (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimise the turbulence in China’s diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest,” Mr Biden said.

“China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region, and it’s true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits.

“It’s true across the scope of our relationship, including on economic and technology issues.”

Mr Biden’s bluntness was a stark contrast to how other Quad leaders have tried to frame the strategic four-way dialogue, often deflecting suggestions that it exists to counter China.

The hawkish approach to Beijing has been adopted by the Trump administration, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this month warning of an “imminent” threat to the Indo Pacific.

Mr Hegseth said China could invade Taiwan as early as 2027.

Originally published as Penny Wong in Washington for key talks amid US alliance concerns