Anthony Albanese has remained steadfast in how he will deal with a more assertive China after Premier Li Keqiang sent the new prime minister a congratulatory message.
Mr Albanese confirmed he has received a letter from the Chinese premier and would respond in due course upon returning to Australia following Tuesday’s Quad meeting in Tokyo.
Australia would seek to work with all countries but would not compromise on its values, Mr Albanese said.
‘It’s not Australia that’s changed, it’s China,’ he told reporters following the leaders’ summit.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (centre) has sent new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a congratulatory letter for his election
‘It’s China that has placed sanctions on Australia. There is no justification for doing that and that’s why they should be removed.’
As Quad leaders discussed regional security, the Japanese prime minister raised concerns about the ramifications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘We cannot let the same thing happen in the Indo-Pacific region,’ Fumio Kishida said in his opening remarks.
Mr Albanese (right) said Australia would not compromise on its values while Foreign Minister Penny Wong (left) prepares to visit Fiji on Thursday
Mr Albanese, along with Mr Kishida, US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlined new measures to keep the Indo-Pacific ‘free and open’ but didn’t expressly name China in the official communique.
‘We will continue to act decisively together to advance these principles in the region and beyond,’ the official statement said.
‘We reaffirm our resolve to uphold the international rules-based order where countries are free from all forms of military, economic and political coercion.’
The readout also included measures the counter Chinese influence in the region, including $US50 billion ($A71 billion) in infrastructure assistance and investment in the Indo-Pacific over the next five years to help countries with ‘debt issues’.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and Mr Albanese (left) outlined new measures to keep the Indo-Pacific ‘free and open’ but didn’t expressly name China in the official communique during the Quad Summit in Japan on Tuesday
Cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure systems in the Indo-Pacific will also be tackled through further information sharing and capacity building programs for the region.
But Mr Albanese’s hand may be forced sooner than he thought, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi due to arrive in the Solomon Islands this week to formally sign a new security pact.
Mr Yi is then due to visit seven other Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Tonga, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
But the Australian government appears to be on the front foot, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong due to touch down in Fiji on Thursday.
A new security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands will be formally signed later this week (left: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, right: Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare)
The incoming Labor government says it will seek to build relationships across the Pacific and Asia in a renewed focus on the region.
‘We want peace and stability in the region,’ the prime minister said.
‘That’s best achieved through proper diplomatic processes by making sure we build relations in the region and act in a positive way.’
But Mr Albanese also reiterated that a list of 14 demands by the Chinese government to repatch the bilateral relationship was ‘entirely inappropriate’.
‘We reject all of them,’ he said.
The remarks came after China’s premier reportedly said Beijing is willing to push forward bilateral ties with Canberra.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden (right) said the US would intervene militarily if China were to invade the island while Mr Albanese (left) reiterated the important of Australia’s alliance with the US
‘The sound and stable development of the Sino-Australian relationship conforms to the fundamental interests and common aspirations of the two peoples and is also conducive to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region,’ the China Daily reported Mr Li as saying.
Australia’s relationship with the regional powerhouse has soured in recent years, with Beijing refusing to take calls from the outgoing Morrison government and blocking imports on a variety of goods despite a free-trade agreement between the two countries.
China is still Australia’s biggest trading partner, especially through the shipments of iron ore.
Tensions also heightened after US President Joe Biden warned Beijing not to interfere with Taiwan, saying the US would intervene militarily.
Mr Albanese maintained that Australia’s position hadn’t changed after President Biden said his remarks were in line with the established US position of strategic ambiguity.
‘Our position is there should be no unilateral change to the status quo. Our position has not changed,’ he said.