Beijing has praised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a world leader that others from the West should strive to emulate – in a compliment the Prime Minister may not find at all helpful at home.
The Communist superpower’s state-owned newspaper, the China Daily, ran a glowing editorial on Thursday that complimented Australia for ‘waking up’ about the importance of China and praising Mr Albanese for his ‘strategic autonomy’.
In the past, the mouthpiece for China’s regime has viciously attacked Australian politicians, including slamming Mr Albanese’s predecessor Scott Morrison as a ‘yes man’ for America.
But the state media organ struck a remarkably different tone about Mr Albanese in an editorial this week, praising his government for striking a masterful ‘balancing act’ between its alliance with Washington and economic interests with China.
Mr Albanese netted one more compliment for the way he has handled the ‘unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty’ following Donald Trump’s stunning comeback at the 2024 US election earlier this month.
The publication previously wrote that peace would not be ‘easy’ after President-elect Donald Trump won the election and began announcing cabinet members with hawkish views on China.
However, unlike during Mr Trump’s first term when Australia was ‘under Washington’s anti-China spell’ the editors wrote that Canberra had since ‘woken up’.
‘Australia’s ties with China deteriorated when the previous Australian government fell under Washington’s anti-China spell,’ the editorial read.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese was praised by Chinese state-owned newspaper, the China Daily, as an example of what other western leaders should strive to be like
The glowing editorial from the state media organ comes just one day before Mr Albanese is set to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping for the APEC conference in Peru
‘But Canberra has woken up to the significance of those ties under the Albanese government and set out repairing them.’
Mr Trump has threatened to impose 60 per cent tariffs on China after he becomes president on January 20.
Economists predict these tariffs, which are essentially a tax on imports or exports, would slow economic growth in countries like Australia which is dependent on trade with China.
Mr Albanese discussed trade with the incoming US president on a congratulatory phone call following Mr Trump’s election win.
The two discussed trade and ways to help safeguard Australia’s economy against global challenges.
‘I pointed out that Australia has, or the United States has, a trade surplus with Australia,’ he said on Wednesday.
The prime minister discussed his phone call to Mr Trump with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto when the pair met in Peru for the APEC summit on Friday.
‘He had a phone conversation with President Trump, as I did last week, so we discussed that and what it might mean for the world,’ Mr Subianto told reporters.
The China Daily praised Mr Albanese for striking a masterful ‘balancing act’ between its alliance with Washington and economic interests with China.
Chinese state media previously wrote that peace would not be ‘easy’ after President-elect Donald Trump won the US election
‘Obviously, that’s part of the backdrop of APEC and the G20 is what the impact of a change in US Administration will have.’
The commentary could expose Mr Albanese to criticism that his government’s relationship with China is too cozy.
The editorial is not Mr Albanese’s first compliment from the Chinese regime.
The country’s second-in-command, Premier Li Qiang, told reporters that locals had begun calling the prime minister ‘a handsome boy’ on a trip to Beijing in November 2023.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Mr Albanese and other world leaders at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and G20 meeting in Peru and Brazil in South America in the coming days.
