Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom joined US President Joseph Biden Monday at a San Diego naval base to discuss the terms under which the South Pacific Island will purchase nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS defense strategy to neutralize China's expansion in the region.
After years of strained relations, Australia and China have given the first steps to normalization with the visit of Aussie Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Beijing. Ms Wong is the first Australian minister to visit China since 2019 and is leading Canberra's first formal talks in Beijing since 2018.
Australia's Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wants to improve Australia's image abroad after defeating conservative Scott Morrison. Climate change played a pivotal role in the Saturday vote, with voters unhappy with Morrison's government response to deadly fires and floods that hit Australia in recent years and their support of massive coal exports.