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Anthony Albanese has compared notes with the US president ahead of Joe Biden’s landmark meeting with Xi Jinping on Monday at the G20, and discussed Aukus and climate cooperation in a warm catch-up spanning 40 minutes.
Australia’s prime minister met Biden on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit on Sunday in Phnom Penh. That catch-up followed Albanese speaking on Saturday night with the Chinese premier Li Keqiang – which is the first leader-level contact between Australia and China in three years.
Biden’s meeting with the Chinese president in Bali will be the first time the two leaders have met face-to-face since his election to the White House. Biden has reportedly said Monday’s meeting with Xi, which comes amid tensions over Taiwan and a host of other issues, will establish “what the red lines are”.
During their catch up on Sunday, Albanese and Biden canvassed progress on the Aukus joint agreement with the United Kingdom on nuclear submarines – which remains a deeply contentious issue in the Asean region given the escalating tensions – and Albanese also invited Biden to address federal parliament next year when the president visits Australia for a meeting of the Quad.
With the United Nations-led climate talks also under way in Egypt during the international summit season, Albanese told reporters the two leaders talked about climate action, “and the link between it and economic growth and job creation”.
