Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews appearance at the 80 Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on September 3, was a clear indication of a major Australian foreign policy change.
Dan Andrews, now citizen Dan is still very controversial in his home state of Victoria after his Covid era authoritarianism. Dan Andrews surprised many when he was seen in Beijing in the company of leaders like Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, Kim Jung Un, leader of North Korea, Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar Junta leader, Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia, and the host President Xi Jinping of China.
Dan Andrews has been criticized for this in the Australian social mediascape over the last few days. Andrews was not just on holiday in Beijing catching up with old friends. To be present in the photo line-ups on the day carries a great significance. There is no way Andrews would have been in such a picture and walking with this group of world leaders by coincidence.
It appears both Australia and New Zealand sent unofficial emissaries to the commemoration ceremony and parade. There was Helen Clark former prime minister of New Zealand and Dan Andrews from Australia.
There is a long and close personal and professional relationship between Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia and Andrews. They were together in their rise through the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Both were flat mates in Canberra and staunch members of the Socialist Left (SL) faction in the ALP. Andrews was the perfect 'unofficial emissary' to Beijing for the September 3 event.
Looking through the paradigm of 'symbolism', Andrews visit to China is the most important visit since Gough Whitlam visited China in July 1971 as the federal opposition leader. This led to Australia formally recognizing China very soon after his election as prime minister in December 1972.
For various reasons, A current Australian leader could not make an official appearance at the ceremony and military parade. Things are very complicated with much of Australian public opinion believing China is the enemy, and firmly part of the ANZUS alliance.
Andrews' appearance sent the message to the Chinese leadership that Australia recognizes China's place in the multi-polar world today and wishes to engage accordingly.
Since AUKUS was created under the Scott Morrison government, when China was painted as an enemy on September 15, 2021, a lot has happened. AUKUS was Morrison's way of showing Australians his government could fight back after being diplomatically 'ignored by China', and levied some crippling tariffs on some of the nation's key export products.
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel changed the nature of geopolitics. Israel with US support went into Gaza and punished Gazans to the point the IDF operations have been widely described as genocide. This has continued from the Biden into the Trump administration without tacit support.
The Australian government has announced it will support the recognition of a Palestinian State at the United Nations when it is voted upon later this month. This runs contrary to US policy and can be seen as a major drift away from the alliance. Australia traditionally has been closely aligned with the US in the United Nations, but there is great difference on Palestine, which has led Australia to vote differently on a number of occasions.
Moreover, Australia felt militarily vulnerable when a Chinese naval taskforce circumnavigated Australia, conducting live fore exercises without any interdiction assistance by the US earlier this year. This was a clear illustration of the uselessness of any alliance if an attack came upon the Australian mainland. The way the US handled the tariff issues with Australia, a good and loyal ally left a lot to be desired.
India's pivot towards China rips apart The QUAD strategic alliance between Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. It appears to be a totally useless alliance now.
The September 3 military parade showed off some of China's latest weapons for the first time, which totally destroy the strategic logic of AUKUS once and for all. Australian nuclear-powered submarines will not be able to defend Australia against Dongfeng-5C and Dongfeng-61 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching Australia, Julang-3 ICBM missile carrying submarines, and wide range of drone aircraft and submarines.
This requires a total foreign and defence policy rethink on the part of Australia. AUKUS may still exist on paper, but the spirit of AUKUS is now gone. This is why Dan Andrews visit to Beijing and symbolically standing up beside China was so symbolically important. The future of the Australian-US alliance is clouded in uncertainty, created in a time long passed by.
The ALP Socialist Left policy on China goes back to Gough Whitlam. Whitlam preferred engagement rather than the isolation of China, and at the same time was suspicious of the Australian-US alliance. China is seen as a critical partner for Australia's economic and regional interests. The Socialist Left is dismissive of alarmist narratives about China, still holding some of the Jim Cairns naïve sympathy he had during his time as a politician in the 60s and 70s, although the activities of the Chinese United Front Work Department have made things much more complex today.
Anthony Albanese has come under criticism for Andrews' trip to China, although he has deflected some of this through stating Andrews was on a private trip. The truth is more likely that Andrews was there to consolidate clear channels for future discussions. Andrews' visit was by no means an accident, but rather subdued diplomacy without announcing future intentions and gaining attention from the United States State Department. Australia is far from ready for a diplomatic spat with the Trump administration.
From that point of view, Andrews was one of the few people Albanese could send. Bob Carr may have attracted too much attention. Paul Keating would have alerted the media to what is going on. This is all going on outside the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), with only a few people in a very close circle in the know.
It looks like there will be a major pivot in Australian foreign policy in progress. However, for the reasons stated above it must be undertaken in a 'softly softly' manner, due to the current political and institutional realities of Australia. However, this may playout to be the largest policy change Australia has ever made. Back in 1971, Whitlam visited China and in the next year the Australian government formally recognized China. In 2025, Andrews visited China, signifying Australia's recognition of its central place in the emerging multi-polar world.