EDITORIAL: Feel-good China trip short on tangible outcomes

What have Australians got out of Anthony Albanese’s six-day tour of China?

Some photographs of their Prime Minister gazing appreciatively at pandas and strolling along the Great Wall in a variety of athleisure wear.

Some face time for that Prime Minister with two of the most powerful men of the world’s second biggest economy.

And plenty of talk about mutual respect and friendship in the florid language of international diplomacy.

But, as the Coalition has been quick to point out, what Australians haven’t received is much in the way of tangible outcomes, the kind of which we are accustomed to through these overseas jaunts. The closest thing to an “announceable” to use the Canberra parlance was a review of the 10-year old China Australia Free Trade Agreement, which was due to happen anyway.

Of course, that’s the way of much in politics. It’s hard to determine the merit of many things, unless they go very wrong.

Former home affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo is among the sceptics who thinks that could happen. He said this week Mr Albanese would have been better off with a quick trip to Beijing with the other days spent dropping in on leaders in Japan, Korea and the Philippines, which share Australia’s concerns about China’s dramatic military build-up and increasing aggression in the South China Sea.

“If, tragically, war erupts in a year or so, this visit will be seen forever in a very different light,” Mr Pezzullo said.

Mr Albanese has defended his lengthy China itinerary, which saw him visit which Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, by pointing out that both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang had travelled outside the usual diplomatic destinations of Sydney and Canberra while in Australia.

“It’s important to recognise that and one of the things that I find about giving countries respect, is that you get it back,” Mr Albanese said.

But will all this mutual respect flying around translate into tangible changes in China’s behaviour.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner. But it is also undeniably our biggest threat within our region.

The Chinese military has repeatedly engaged in dangerous and antagonistic conduct towards Australia. There was the live-fire exercises without notice in the Tasman Sea earlier this year. The provocative circumnavigation of our continent by spy ships. And numerous incidents in which China has endangered Australian military personnel through firing flares at RAAF jets and sonar pulses at navy divers.

It’s telling that when asked directly as to whether he trusted President Xi, Mr Albanese chose his words carefully.

And he chose not to use the word “trust”.

“Nothing that he has said to me, has he not fulfilled,” was the PM’s deliberate response.

So, no. He doesn’t trust President Xi. That’s wise.

Respect is one thing. Trust is another.