By: Robert DoughertyPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the possibility of a diplomatic visit to Beijing, if it was offered by the People’s Republic of China president, Xi Jinping.
Albanese made the comment during a public address on 5 April after being questioned about media reports of an official invitation being extended to his office earlier in the week.
“I’ve met with President Xi, and I think dialogue is a good thing. So I have said that if an invitation were to be received then I would accept it and we would work out a timetable for it,” Albanese said.
“I will be attending the G7 Meeting in Tokyo, and then, of course, I’ll be hosting the Quad Leaders Meeting here as well.”
The invitation debate follows the Australian government’s recent ban on the use of Chinese social media app TikTok on government devices and the widely publicised acceptance of the AUKUS defence agreement, both decisions have been criticised by the PRC.