Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his recent diplomatic visit to China amid criticism it yielded few tangible outcomes, arguing that his government has restored dialogue and cooperation after a breakdown in communication under the former Coalition government. Speaking to reporters, Albanese highlighted the contrast between his administration’s diplomatic efforts and the Coalition’s previous term, claiming that “not a single minister” from the former government held a phone conversation with China; Australia’s largest trading partner, during that time, The Guardian reports. “If you

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his recent diplomatic visit to China amid criticism it yielded few tangible outcomes, arguing that his government has restored dialogue and cooperation after a breakdown in communication under the former Coalition government. Speaking to reporters, Albanese highlighted the contrast between his administration’s diplomatic efforts and the Coalition’s previous term, claiming that “not a single minister” from the former government held a phone conversation with China; Australia’s largest trading partner, during that time, The Guardian reports. “If you compare the difference of this visit with the failure of the Coalition during the last term, during the term in which I was opposition leader, they didn’t have a phone conversation between a single minister in Australia and our major trading partner,” he said Albanese pointed to what he described as “constructive engagement” under his leadership, noting that major Australian mining companies: BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, and Hancock Prospecting, had recently met face-to-face with their Chinese buyers. “That benefits Australia enormously,” he said. Responding to concerns about limited concrete results from the trip, Albanese emphasized that his focus was on fostering “more agreement and less disagreement” with Beijing and building long-term stability in bilateral relations. The prime minister also signaled that bilateral discussions would continue, noting an upcoming visit later this year from Zhao Leji, chair of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. “What I’d like to see is to be able to talk about those issues regularly, get as much agreement as possible,” Albanese said. “Out of understanding can come greater cooperation.”

A little more informed. A little more connected.