Anthony Albanese and his foreign minister, Penny Wong, touched down yesterday for a meeting of the quadrilateral security dialogue (Quad) that will focus on measures aimed at curbing China's assertiveness in the region.
On the eve of the visit, Chinese state media put Albanese on notice that his approach would be viewed as a test of his "political wisdom" after the "anti-China strategy" pursued by Scott Morrison's government.
But the call for a reset in Australia's strained ties with its largest trading partner will probably be immediately tested after Joe Biden indicated the US would be prepared to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression.
The comments put Albanese in a difficult position on one of the most vexed questions of foreign policy as he flags a diplomatic reset with Australia's most important allies and stresses the importance of Australia's partnership with the US.
This story is from the May 24, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 24, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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