Anthony Albanese’s trip to China could be derailed by the Trump administration, who have issued a demand to know how he would respond to an invasion of Taiwan.
The Prime Minister and his fiancé Jodie Haydon touched down in the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai on Saturday for a week-long visit that includes a meeting with Chinese Communist Party leader President Xi Jinping.
Lighter topics like trade and tourism are on the agenda, however, a senior United States official on Saturday demanded answers on whether Australia would back America in a war against China.
The US has been largely ambiguous about what its own response would be to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, which China has long claimed territorial rights over.
Nevertheless, a report by the Financial Times on Saturday claimed US defence undersecretary Elbridge Colby had questioned Japan and Australia over its positions.
The outlet cited five sources who all recalled the topic of the countries’ response to a conflict in the Indo-Pacific being raised during meetings.
Colby, who is involved in strategy at the Pentagon, responded to the report on X on Sunday Australian time.
‘As the department has made abundantly and consistently clear, we at Department of Defence are focused on implementing the President’s ‘America First’, common sense agenda of restoring deterrence and achieving peace through strength,’ he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is visiting China with fiancé Jodie Haydon (the pair pictured in Shanghai with former Socceroo and Shanghai Port FC Manager Kevin Muscat on left)
Despite Albanese being on Chinese soil, US defence undersecretary Elbridge Colby has demanded Australia clarify whether it would join America in a hypothetical conflict with China
The senior defence official claimed the America First approach was already working.
‘This has been a hallmark of President Trump’s strategy – in Asia as in Europe where it has already been tremendously successful.’
He also suggested several American allies were seeing the ‘urgent need to step up’ and ‘are doing so’.
‘President Trump has shown the approach and the formula – and we will not be deterred from advancing his agenda,’ he said.
In response to questions about Australia’s hypothetical response to conflict in the Indo-Pacific, Albanese said ‘we have our AUKUS arrangements in place’.
‘We’ll continue to work through all of these issues,’ he said.
‘Our alliance with the United States is a very important one for Australia so we’ll continue to engage constructively in a coherent, stable, orderly way.
‘That’s the way I conduct this government.’
Albanese (pictured in Shanghai on Sunday) said he would not share ‘private comments’ on Australia’s military plans
As for his position on Taiwan, Albanese simply said Australia supports the ‘status quo’.
‘I think it’s important that we have a consistent position, which Australia has had for a long period of time,’ he said.
‘We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action there. We have a clear position and we have been consistent about that.’
Reports on Thursday claimed the US believed Australia should voice its direct support of the US by stating it would use American-made nuclear submarines should a conflict with China arise.
However, the production of those submarines was called into question earlier this year by Colby himself, who is leading a review into the AUKUS pact under which the submarine deal was made.
Albanese also addressed pressure to make a public statement on Sunday, noting tactical conversations between it and Australia would remain ‘private’.
‘You don’t take private comments to a media conference. By definition, that’s in private,’ he said. ‘We engage in a mature way. That’s the way that we deal with our relationships.’
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy on Sunday was more blunt in telling the US it would not dictate Australia’s military decisions.
Colby (pictured) is leading a review into the AUKUS pact, under which a deal was made for the US to build nuclear submarines for Australia
‘The sole power to commit Australia to war, or to allow our territory to be used for conflict, is the elected government of the day,’ he told the ABC.
‘That is our position. Sovereignty will always be prioritised and that will continue to be our position.’
Albanese’s upcoming sit-down with Xi will be the second time he’s met with the Chinese leader, following his excursion to China in November 2023.
He is yet to meet with Trump after the president left Canada’s G7 summit early in June citing urgent developments in the Middle East.
Albanese has faced criticism for meeting with Xi before the leader of one of Australia’s biggest allies.
However, it’s not the first time an Australian leader has met with Xi before the US president. Tony Abbott pulled the same move by meeting with Xi in the weeks after taking office in 2013, before he met with Barack Obama.
Tensions between Australia and China have grown since the Asian superpower began ramping up efforts to grow influence over the Indo-Pacific in the 2010s.
That included the formation of armed artificial islands in the South China Sea.
The Chinese Communist Party’s intent to shift from a diplomatic player to a strategist became clear in 2019 with Kiribati and the Solomon Islands both switching its policies regarding Taiwan to side with China.
Since then the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has extended its presence in international waters, including an excursion down Australia’s east coast by three Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ships.
Albanese is expected to raise the live-fire drills conducted by the Chinese military ships off Australia’s coast earlier this year with Xi Jinping.
China has been expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific since the 2010 with tensions heightening earlier this year with the appearance of three Chinese warships (one pictured) off Australia’s east coast
Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it was unlikely any federal government would give a ‘blanket agreement’ to what the nation’s contribution might be in the event of a conflict.
‘What I suspect (the US is) probably asking for is a higher level of collaboration on war-gaming and scenario planning for various scenarios in the region,’ she said.
‘That allows allies working together … to understand how each of the countries might respond.
‘It is prudent for us to be sounding out what are the boundaries of the alliance relationship and what are the expectations.’
Analysts have speculated China could invade Taiwan within the next decade.
The US is among 19 countries participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre, which began on Sunday and will involve 30,000 defence force personnel.
Mr Conroy said the exercise was expected to be closely monitored by China after the Asian power observed the last four since 2017.
‘We will obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia, but we’ll also adjust how we conduct those exercises,’ he said.
‘People observe these exercises to collect intelligence around procedures, around the electronic spectrum and the use of communications.’
Mr Albanese landed in Shanghai late on Saturday for a six-day tour that will focus on economic and security issues.
