Letters | The wisdom of Australia’s fresh approach to China

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recently concluded visit (“How deals are trumping port dispute on Australian PM Albanese’s China visit”, July 17) is a welcome breath of fresh air in Canberra’s approach to China.

Under the previous Liberal-National coalition government, Australia took an unwise turn in its foreign policy by uncritically siding with the United States and needlessly antagonising China – which culminated in Canberra effectively blaming China for Covid-19 by calling for an independent inquiry into its origins.

The past year has shown a world undergoing seismic changes. It is becoming clear that China will emerge as a dominant, if not the dominant, country that masters the industries of the future – such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, biotechnology and artificial intelligence, as most vividly demonstrated by the splashy emergence of DeepSeek’s AI model to public awareness.

In the US, the Trump administration continues to double down on disruption and seeking short-term gains at the expense of long-term priorities – whether it is antagonising allies with tariffs and trade wars, defunding the country’s own climate transition and scientific research, or provoking social conflict and internal division.