Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to depart for New York this week for his first meeting with U.S. President Trump, to discuss the trilateral security partnership between the U.S., UK, and Australia (AUKUS) and issues regarding countering the threat posed by China.
According to the Australian Prime Minister’s office, Albanese will leave for New York on Saturday (September 20) to attend the United Nations General Assembly. He mentioned that he will be attending a reception hosted by President Trump on the following Tuesday (September 23).
Both the U.S. and Australia have not officially announced the meeting of the two leaders. Australian media only suggest that a summit might take place. President Trump himself stated earlier this week that Prime Minister Albanese would be visiting soon.
Michael Fullilove, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, a think tank in Australia, expressed that due to the lack of a meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese since Trump’s reelection, as well as the vacancy of the U.S. Ambassador to Australia position, Australia’s relationship with this key security partner is currently “quite weak.”
Fullilove mentioned, “Albanese’s primary task in meeting with President Trump will be to deepen bilateral relations.”
Former Australian Ambassador to the U.S. and Chairman of the U.S. Studies Centre, Arthur Sinodinos, noted that during President Trump’s visit to the UK, Prince Charles III provided a “strong endorsement” for AUKUS, and Albanese needs to secure Trump’s crucial support for the nuclear-powered submarine deal to attract investments.
Prince Charles III emphasized in a banquet speech that AUKUS is a “vital collaboration” between the UK, U.S., and Australia.
The AUKUS agreement aims to address China’s rapid military expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, and the project is currently under assessment by the Pentagon.
Sinodinos pointed out, “The key lies in what additional conditions AUKUS will entail.”
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to commence on September 22 in New York. During the event, Albanese is expected to express support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and introduce Australia’s law prohibiting children under 16 from using social media, highlighting existing differences between the U.S. and Australia on these issues.
Sinodinos highlighted that there is a broad consensus between the U.S. and Australia, including the necessity for Western nations to break China’s monopoly on crucial mineral supplies.
This week, the Trump administration convened a meeting with over 20 Australian key mineral companies to discuss potential areas for collaboration.
Amid pressure from Washington to increase defense spending, Australia announced a $12 billion Australian dollar (approximately $8 billion USD) investment last Saturday to upgrade the Western Australian shipyard to support submarine maintenance operations under AUKUS.
Officials from both the U.S. and Australia stressed that Australia’s military strategic relationship with Pacific island nations is vital to U.S. core interests.
Sinodinos emphasized, “Our attitude towards our backyard—especially for the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand—is crucial, as adversaries are watching closely, ready to exploit any of our oversights.”