China praises Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as example to follow

Beijing has touted Anthony Albanese as the leader other US allies should follow as they juggle security ties with Washington and trade relations with China under the “hawkish” incoming Trump administration.

An editorial published on Friday in China’s strictly controlled state media praised Mr Albanese’s support of Beijing as a trading partner amid “unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty” after the election of Donald Trump.

The editorial in the China Daily, one of the country’s most influential mastheads, set the tone for an expected meeting between Mr Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of APEC and G20 leader meetings in Peru and Brazil over the coming days.

China’s signalling ahead of the leaders’ conversation and its jitters about the turbulence of a future Trump presidency shone through the editorial’s headline: “Autonomy serves Australia’s interests best.”

Recalibrating bilateral relations “in light of a retrogressive US foreign policy” and in response to “anticipated policy reversals” by the new administration would be “an inevitable balancing act for every US ally and partner,” it continued.

“This certainly will not be an easy one, especially when it comes to a choice between China and the US trade wise, which appears likely considering the hawkish look of the list of the US president-elect’s potential picks for his Cabinet,” it said.

“Australia, however, might offer some useful reference for those struggling to strike such a balance,” it added, pointing to Mr Albanese’s recent phone call with Mr Trump where he urged Washington to “trade fairly” with its allies and stressed it was in Canberra’s interest to engage economically with China.

The positive appraisal of Mr Albanese’s approach indicates that despite a troubled economic relationship with Australia in recent years, Beijing may see Canberra as a future partner in countering Mr Trump’s threat to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China when he enters office.

The government has sought to rebalance its relationship with Beijing after it slapped a series of import bans on Australian commodities after a diplomatic spat in 2020 over the Morrison administration’s demands for an independent investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ties had deteriorated when the previous Australian government fell under “Washington’s anti-China spell,” charged the China Daily, adding that Canberra had since “woken up” and displayed “strategic autonomy” over shared interests.

“It is also evident that economic ties with China and the US do not have to be mutually exclusive,” it said.

However, the prospect of steep tariffs has raised fears of a negative impact on global trade and investment.

Economists have warned that, if imposed, the curbs would slow growth in countries like Australia that have a sizeable economic relationship with China.

Earlier this week, Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned the Australian economy would not be immune to the fallout of punishing tariffs but said there was no need to panic as Treasury modelling had shown only a mild economic impact in the short term.

The Albanese government was “well placed and well prepared” for a Trump victory, he told the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

“Like any diligent country, Australia was ready for either outcome,” he said.

The prime minister has also indicated Australia intends to step up to help manage future economic tensions between Beijing and Washington.

As he set out for South America earlier this week, Mr Albanese said Australia “can play a role” in any potential trade war between the United States and China.

“Now the strategic competition that exists between the United States and China is something that we’re dealing with as well,” he said.

“We think that we can play a role as a middle power. Australia is trusted, our word matters.

“We have an alliance with the United States, but China is our major trading partner.”