U.S. and Australia hold initial conversation focusing on China and Myanmar, according to White House statement.
US-Australia Leaders Dialogue on China and Myanmar
In a phone call on February 4, US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed collaborative efforts to manage challenges posed by China and the recent military coup in Myanmar. The White House revealed this exchange.
This conversation marked the leaders' first conversation since Biden took office. Tensions have escalated between Australia and China, and just days prior, Myanmar's military staged a coup against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government.
The US-Australia partnership, according to the White House, "remains a cornerstone of stability in the Indo-Pacific and the world."
Morrison declined to share specifics about the discussion regarding China and Myanmar with media in Canberra. Instead, he highlighted Biden's view of the Australia-US relationship as the cornerstone of peace and security in the region.
The United States serves as Australia's key strategic ally, a relationship that Morrison prioritized even as ties between Canberra and China, its largest trade partner, became strained.
The emphasis on climate change by the new US administration might put pressure on Morrison, who has been reluctant to make a commitment equivalent to Biden's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Morrison, however, described the call as warm and engaging.
Morrison's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, had a tumultuous first phone call with former US President Donald Trump, who reportedly called it the "worst call by far" (The Washington Post). Their conversation deteriorated after Turnbull pressed Trump to honor a previous agreement Canberra had made with the Obama administration to take in refugees from Australian offshore detention centers.
Insight: The AUKUS pact, announced on September 15, 2021, by Australia, the U.S., and the U.K., signifies a strong alignment against China's increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Australia has faced economic sanctions from China, particularly following suggestions for a World Health Organization investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Despite tensions, Australia maintains engagement with China, balancing it with strategic partnerships like AUKUS. Both the US and Australia are also members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), aiming to enhance cooperation and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Biden and Morrison, during their discussion, touched upon the political landscape in both China and Myanmar, a topic that remains significant within the general news sphere. The US-Australia partnership, as Morrison asserted, serves as a crucial element in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes addressing challenges posed by China, as highlighted in the context of the AUKUS pact and the Quad.
