A group of MPs headed to Taiwan to convey Australia’s desire to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific will visit the country without Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The group, which will arrive in Taiwan on Sunday and is made up of both government and opposition lawmakers, is described by the prime minister as more of a “backbench” tour than a Labor-led excursion.
Since 2019, this delegation is the first of its kind to visit Taiwan.
When it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan and China, there is still a bipartisan attitude, Mr. Albanese told reporters in South Australia on Saturday.
When asked what the aims of the visiting lawmakers were, the prime minister responded, “You should ask them.”
Former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce is among the group, a Joyce official said on Saturday. Also said to be departing are two Labor MPs.
According to reports, the team will meet with Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, and Joseph Wu, the minister of foreign affairs of Taiwan.
The trip is supposed to involve sessions on security, commerce, agriculture, and indigenous issues. It is being kept secret to prevent Chinese officials in Canberra from advocating for its cancellation.
The federal government has taken steps to mend its strained diplomatic ties with China with the visit to democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.
In the midst of China’s expanding influence in the Pacific, Australia and China, its major trading partner, have fought over trade disagreements and the cause of the COVID-19 epidemic.
President Xi Jinping and Mr. Albanese met last month on the fringes of the G20 conference in Indonesia, increasing hopes for improved bilateral relations.
