Australia's PM says he's not in group of Australian PMs to visit Taiwan

3/12/2022 18:50

        Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday he would not be part of a group of federal politicians set to travel to Taiwan for a reported five-day visit aimed at conveying Australia's wish to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific.
        
        The group, which includes Australia's governing Labor Party and opposition Liberal-National coalition MPs, will fly to Taiwan on Sunday and is the first delegation of its type to visit there since 2019, The Australian newspaper reported on Saturday.
        
        Albanese on Saturday described the trip as a "backbench" visit to Taiwan, not a government-led one.
        
        The group includes former leader of the National Party Barnaby Joyce, a spokesperson for Joyce confirmed to Reuters on Saturday. Two Labor MPs are also said to be going.
        
        A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said politicians from various parties regularly travelled to Taiwan before the COVID-19 pandemic and the current delegation "represents a resumption of that activity".