Washington (TDI): As disruptive as US foreign policy is under Trump, it took the President ten months to meet Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese; a country traditionally deemed a US close ally.
In the first summit between the two leaders, on Monday, at the White House, Albanese is likely to discuss Indo-pacific stability, nuclear submarines, and trade.
The two leaders briefly met earlier in September on the sidelines of the UN high level week in New York. The White House meeting will, therefore, be the first formal meeting between the two.
A major focus will remain on Australia’s rare earth reserves; which Canberra believes can be of value to the US as China has tightened export controls on critical minerals.
Australia’s focus on rare earths in this meeting is also reflected in the fact that Minister for Resources is accompanying PM Albanese. The absence of Defense and Foreign Ministers indicates that security and geopolitical matters will surface but not as prominently as critical minerals.
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A review of the AUKUS treaty has created suspicion around the relationship historically shared between Australia and the US. Australian leadership expresses optimism regarding the future of the treaty; maintaining that the treaty will proceed.
Under Trump administration’s extensive review of alliances, trade relations, immigration, as well as defense pacts, AUKUS also came in the line of fire. Nothing concrete is yet known about the continuation of the treaty, under which Australia will buy US nuclear-powered submarines in 2032.
The US has demanded from Australia to invest more in the building of these submarines; to which it responded by contributing $2 billion this year, hoping to boost production.
To put the US-Australia trade relations in context, the US enjoys a trade surplus with Canberra while China remains Australia’s largest trading partner.
As China’s export curbs on rare earths have created a major supply chain disruption for Europe and the United States, Australia hopes to fill that gap with its reserves.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
