No images? Click here 8 November 2023Albanese's China meeting a sign of things to come?Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has just concluded his first official visit to China in which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hailed a "healthy and stable" relationship between the two countries. Amid regional tensions, the visit — the first by an Australian prime minister since 2016 — represents a diplomatic detente after fraught bilateral relations in recent years. The visit follows months of high level diplomatic meetings between Chinese officials and their Australian and American counterparts. These include with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and top Biden administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blin, including by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong's July meeting with her Chinese counterpart and a June visit to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Off the back of the recent easing of tariffs against Australian barley, the diplomatic thaw has raised hopes that further tariffs introduced by China at the height of tensions in 2020, on Australian wine and lobster imports, may soon be lifted. New United States Studies Centre (USSC) polling indicates that Australians are supportive of Albanese's approach with only 23 per cent disapproving of Australia's handling of China. In fact, Australians are markedly more likely to say they approve of their own country's handling of China compared to Americans and Japanese respondents. In addition to a number of his cabinet officials, President Joe Biden himself is scheduled to engage diplomatically with China, with the president slated to meet with Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit beginning in San Francisco this Saturday. While it remains to be seen whether these diplomatic engagements will translate into a broader regional cooling of tensions amid ongoing strategic competition, they are nevertheless indicators that some level of normalisation in relations may be forthcoming. NEWS WRAPTrump in court, Virginia in blue
![]() "Both Australia and China benefit from cooperation and dialogue." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the conclusion of his official visit to China | 7 November 2023 EVENT ![]() Economic security in a turbulent worldThe world economy is undergoing a patchwork reversal of global integration as major powers seek to “de-risk” key economic relationships and use new policy tools to boost domestic investment in strategic industries. The United States Studies Centre invites you to join us as we convene a major international conference — “Economic Security in a Turbulent World” — to discuss these issues, bringing together policymakers, business executives and leading experts from the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as from Australia. Save the date for the opportunity to learn from leading experts in geopolitics and economic policy and engage in robust and interactive discussion on the key issues facing Australia, the United States and the Alliance. TYPE WHEN IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Did you USSC?
BY THE NUMBERS How do Australians feel about the prospect of a second Trump presidency?By Ava Kalinauskas, Research Associate A new poll by the United States Studies Centre finds that almost half (45 per cent) of Australians think a second Trump term would be bad for Australia. If Biden wins office, Australians are overwhelmingly against (56 per cent) withdrawing from their alliance with the United States. Yet when it comes to a hypothetical Trump re-election, the Australian public is far more divided on the question. The polling finds that 37 per cent of Australian respondents think Australia should leave the US alliance if Trump returns to the presidency next year. Slightly more — 44 per cent — disagree with the idea of doing so. Of course, a year out from the election, much remains unknown. Trump and Biden are yet to officially secure their parties’ nomination. Earlier this week Trump took the stand in a Manhattan courthouse for a civil fraud trial — part of his growing entanglement of legal trials that will play out alongside next year’s packed calendar of primary contests and conventions. But for Australians watching on, memories of Trump’s presidency will no doubt be front of mind, as Australia seeks to deepen cooperation with its closest ally at the same time as the United States gears up for a year ahead that will be dominated by domestic debates and political drama — and potentially result in a different White House occupant. Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend United States Studies Centre |