Albanese criticized for his insincerity on improving ties with China as Aussie delegation visits island

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, instead of expressing explicitly his opposition to a reckless visit made by a bipartisan delegation of Australian politicians to the island of Taiwan, has tried to distance himself from the delegation by stressing the trip is not by the government and he “has no idea” of the trip’s intention.

Considering Albanese’s vague and cop-out remarks which will undoubtedly encourage the arrogance of the anti-China forces and the pro“Taiwan independence” forces in Australia, there is a big question mark hanging over Australia’s sincerity on improving its relations with China, Chinese observers said.

According to Australian media, in the first visit by Australian members of parliament (MPs) since 2019, six federal MPs from the Coalition and Labor arrived in Taiwan island by plane on Sunday. However, Albanese claimed on Saturday morning at a press conference, “It isn’t a government visit; there remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan [region].”

Although not under the rubric of the Australian government, the latest trip is definitely not a people-to-people visit as it includes senior politicians who will reportedly meet with Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen, Chen Hong, president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The trip exposes that within the Australian government there are anti-China forces trying to obstruct the improvement of Beijing-Canberra ties when the ties are moving toward detente.

Although the trip is not expected to be put in the same class as US house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to the island of Taiwan in August, “there is a big question mark over Australia’s sincerity in improving relations with China. If the hard-won warming of China-Australia ties are harmed by such reckless moves, the national interests of Australia will again suffer, and Canberra will take the conse- quences,” Chen warned.