A Nationals MP mistook Vietnamese flags around parliament for Chinese flags amid key trade talks.
Anne Webster made the embarrassing blunder in front of reporters outside Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.
‘Can any of you tell me why we have the Chinese flag flying?’ Webster asked the group.
One journalist answered: ‘It’s Vietnamese’.
‘Oh, Vietnam,’ Webster said.
While it may have slipped Webster’s mind, a meeting between Australia and Vietnam at Parliament House saw the countries pledge to bolster trade and investment ties.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Vietnamese President To Lam, announcing their nations were committed to supporting supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors and clean energy.
They recognised the importance of allowing the flow of essential goods between the two countries, such as grid infrastructure, agricultural and agri-food essentials, according to their joint statement on Tuesday.
Nationals MP Anne Webster (above) mistook Vietnamese flags above Parliament House for Chinese flags
Parliament House was decorated with Vietnamese flags ahead of trade and security discussions
The leaders also reaffirmed their intention to further strengthen defence and security engagement following Vietnam’s participation in Exercise Kakadu military drills in 2024 and 2026.
Mr Albanese said resilient supply chains mattered more than ever.
‘Whether it’s food, energy, or critical goods, both our countries have an interest in keeping trade open and reliable,’ he said.
‘That is good for our economies, good for our security, and good for our region.’
As part of the agreements reached, Melbourne’s RMIT University will significantly expand in Vietnam, with plans for a new Hanoi campus and Saigon South campus redevelopment.
The president arrived in Sydney on Sunday night for his first visit to Australia as both leader of Vietnam and the head of the national Communist Party.
This dual role of party and national leader is unusual and has been labelled a significant concentration of political authority by experts like Anne Vo, a senior lecturer of Vietnamese culture and politics at the University of Wollongong.
The visit was crucial as Vietnam was both a nation within China’s sphere of influence and an ally to the United States, she said.
Webster asked reporters: ‘Can any of you tell me why we have the Chinese flag flying?’ (pictured is a Chinese flag)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) met with Vietnamese President To Lam (left) in Canberra on Monday
‘For years, Australia and Vietnam have talked about the enormous potential in the relationship,’ Dr Vo said.
‘The question now is whether they start converting that potential into capital, companies, projects and long-term economic integration.’
Dr Vo said Vietnam has been considered ‘promising, but not urgent’ by Australian business in the past but could offer economic security.
Huong Le Thu, a deputy director at the International Crisis Group, said the visit provided a chance to ‘exchange notes’ as both nations faced international pressures from close allies.
‘They need to be flexible and of course safeguard their national interests and red lines, but cooperate where they must,’ Dr Le Thu told AAP.
‘Whether either country have a kind of recipe to deal with current turbulences or challenges yet to come is yet to be shown.’
Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia with Australia making efforts for half a century to secure a stronger relationship.
The countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
