The prime minister is preparing for a week of quiet diplomacy as he attends two key international summits where Donald Trump’s tariffs and China’s growing influence in the Pacific will top of mind for many world leaders.
Anthony Albanese will sit down with a number of his counterparts over coming days at the ASEAN and APEC summits, held in South Korea and Malaysia respectively.
Mr Trump is expected to attend both gatherings.
The president plans to sign a trade deal with the Malaysian prime minister, preside over a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand and sit down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
He is expected to speak informally with Mr Albanese after their successful face-to-face meeting at the White House earlier this week which included the signing of a key critical minerals agreement.
Mr Trump’s shadow loomed large over the proceedings, as countries tried to negotiate more favourable treatment after being slapped with US tariffs, former Australian trade official Pru Gordon said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves early, because he will be getting polite ear bashing (from other leaders),” said Dr Gordon, the executive director of the Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment.
But she said outside of the US-China relationship, where the tariffs and subsequent trade war had caused a significant drop-off in sales, other nations had found ways around the American tariffs.
“There’s 166 members of the World Trade Organisation. One hundred and sixty five of those are continuing to trade with each other as they did before,” Dr Gordon said.
With the Trump-Xi meeting likely to take centre stage, Australian National University international security expert John Blaxland said southeast Asian leaders would try to avoid aligning themselves too closely with either power.
Professor Blaxland said countries generally supportive of China, such as Cambodia and Laos, were still open to working with Australia behind the scenes.
“They’re all looking to mind their Ps and Qs and work closely with any partners like Australia, but not make a big hullabaloo about it,” he told AAP.
Prof Blaxland said diplomatic alignment in the region was not black and white.
“The great power game is on. But it doesn’t mean we have to stop being constructive in our engagement with our neighbours,” he said.
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