Albanese Sits at Trump's Right Hand During Exclusive Korea Dinner, Reinforces AUKUS Partnership
This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.
Today’s Article is brought to you by Empower your podcasting vision with a suite of creative solutions at your fingertips.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sat at the right hand of U.S. President Donald Trump during an exclusive two-hour dinner Wednesday night, securing fresh commitments on the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership just days after their White House meeting, according to statements Albanese made Thursday morning in Seoul.
The intimate gathering, hosted by South Korean President at an undisclosed location, brought together leaders from eight nations including four of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance members. Albanese confirmed he knew in advance he would occupy the seat of honor beside Trump, a diplomatic signal observers say underscores Australia’s elevated status in Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
“It was a great honour for Australia to be invited,” Albanese told reporters Thursday. “It’s not the usual thing for such a small intimate dinner as it was last night to occur but a real opportunity and one that I was very pleased to accept.”
The dinner gathering included leaders from the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, representing what Albanese described as “four of the five” Five Eyes countries plus key Asian partners. The United Kingdom, the fifth Five Eyes member, was not mentioned as attending.
Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.
Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
Albanese used the forum to “reinforce the support for AUKUS, the support for our defence and security relationship but also our support for the critical minerals and rare earths arrangements that have been put in place,” he said.
The prime minister’s comments come as Trump faces questions about whether the United States can simultaneously support Australia’s nuclear submarine program while also agreeing to transfer nuclear technology to South Korea. Trump announced Wednesday he had given Seoul a “green light” to develop nuclear-powered submarines, raising concerns about America’s submarine construction capacity.
“President Trump’s comments can’t have been clearer,” Albanese said when pressed about potential AUKUS delays. “They were very clear last week in the White House. They’ve been clear ever since. President Trump has made very explicit statements of not just support for AUKUS, but indeed the bringing forward of the timetable, if that is possible.”
The dinner invitation came through “the usual” diplomatic channels, Albanese said, without elaborating on whether Trump personally extended the offer. The prime minister declined to provide a “running commentary” on Trump’s recent statements about tariffs strengthening U.S. alliances, instead reiterating Australia’s position supporting “free and fair trade.”
“We believe that the more open that trade occurs, the better it is for the global economy, the better it is for Australia,” Albanese said.
The gathering occurred one day after Albanese visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan to honor the more than 17,000 Australians who fought in the Korean War, including those for whom “Korea is their final resting place.” He met with Korean War veterans who expressed gratitude for Australia’s participation in defending South Korea.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong accompanied Albanese to Seoul and conducted separate meetings with her counterparts Thursday, according to the prime minister.
The dinner represents Albanese’s second face-to-face meeting with Trump in eight days. Their White House meeting last week produced what both sides described as productive discussions on defense, security, and economic cooperation. Albanese characterized his relationship with Trump as “good” and “positive,” emphasizing his diplomatic approach of engaging “on Australia’s behalf diplomatically in a way that advances Australia’s national interests.”
The prime minister is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit, scheduled for Friday, where he will hold additional bilateral meetings. He described the week as providing “real opportunity to develop relationships further with leaders from those seven other countries.”
One in four Australian jobs depends on trade, Albanese noted, with more than 75 percent of Australia’s trade conducted with APEC member nations. “That is why it’s in Australia’s interest for me to be here,” he said.
The dinner occurred as Trump prepared for a separate meeting Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a gathering Albanese said Australia welcomes. “We are optimistic about a positive outcome,” he said, having spoken with both Trump and Chinese Premier Li in recent days.
Australia maintains it wants to see “less tension in trade” globally and hopes countries will “work together,” Albanese said. He pointed to his government’s success in removing trade impediments with China since taking office, which he said created jobs for Australians “particularly in our regions, in our agricultural sector, but also in our services sector as well.”
On Taiwan, Albanese reaffirmed Australia’s “long-standing bipartisan position” supporting the status quo and the one-China policy while opposing “any unilateral action.”
The prime minister faced questions about whether he would attend next week’s COP Leaders Summit in Brazil, given Parliament is sitting. He declined to confirm his attendance, saying only that “Australia will be represented there” and that announcements would come “at the appropriate time.”
“I’m sometimes amused by the contradictory messages from Australian media saying I should do more international travel, but when I do, say I should do [less],” Albanese said. He noted this represents “the first full week of Parliament I’ve missed in 30 years, almost, of representation.”
Australia is advocating to host the COP conference at the end of 2026, and Albanese insisted the country takes climate negotiations “very seriously” regardless of his personal attendance next week.
The prime minister’s schedule Thursday includes a visit to POSCO, South Korea’s steel manufacturing giant and Australia’s largest single commercial partner. The company imported 18.2 billion Australian dollars worth of Australian exports last year, a figure Albanese called “mind-boggling.”
“That represents Australian jobs and Australian economic activity,” he said. “That’s my focus of international engagement.”
Sustaining Mencari Requires Your Support
Independent journalism costs money. Help us continue delivering in-depth investigations and unfiltered commentary on the world's real stories. Your financial contribution enables thorough investigative work and thoughtful analysis, all supported by a dedicated community committed to accuracy and transparency.
Subscribe today to unlock our full archive of investigative reporting and fearless analysis. Subscribing to independent media outlets represents more than just information consumption—it embodies a commitment to factual reporting.
As well as knowing you’re keeping Mencari (Australia) alive, you’ll also get:
Get breaking news AS IT HAPPENS - Gain instant access to our real-time coverage and analysis when major stories break, keeping you ahead of the curve
Unlock our COMPLETE content library - Enjoy unlimited access to every newsletter, podcast episode, and exclusive archive—all seamlessly available in your favorite podcast apps.
Join the conversation that matters - Be part of our vibrant community with full commenting privileges on all content, directly supporting The Evening Post (Australia)
Catch up on some of Mencari’s recent stories:
It only takes a minute to help us investigate fearlessly and expose lies and wrongdoing to hold power accountable. Thanks!