G7 Summit: Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden strike climate change deal and take aim at China in Quad
and have committed Australia and the US to pooling their resources in the fight against . The and US President made the historic deal as they met on the sidelines of the G7 summit of world leaders being held in Japan. Under the deal, the two nations will jointly develop solar, wind and storage technology, cooperate on supplying critical minerals and foster the emerging market for hydrogen. In a separate agreement Mr Biden signed off on Australia being considered a domestic source for the massive US defence industry, which opens up a vast market in military supply. Mr Albanese and Mr Biden also agreed to establishing a new US space station in Australia and to be part of joint council to combat child sexual exploitation. In a joint statement the two leaders said 'Australia and the United States will deliver sustainable, resilient and secure critical minerals and clean energy technology to the world'. 'We're going to establish climate and clean energy as the third pillar of the Australia-US Alliance,' Mr Biden said, with the other pillars being defence and economic cooperation. A climate change action plan will be developed by the end of the year and new ministerial-level dialogue will be established between Australia and the US with the goal of reaching net zero emissions. The US will also support Australia's bid to host the COP31 climate change summit in 2026 in partnership with the Pacific Islands. At their meeting Mr Biden apologised to Mr Albanese for cancelling his intended visit to Australia next week to take part in the Quad summit of leaders, which would have also included the prime ministers of Japan and India. A looming economic disaster at home caused Mr Biden to scrap his visit. The US is rapidly approaching its 'debt ceiling' an upper limit set by Congress on how much the country can borrow, which unless it is lifted means the nation faces the catastrophic prospect of defaulting on loans. ' I truly apologise to you, for having you to come here rather than me being in Australia right now,' Mr Biden said. Mr Albanese said in Mr Biden's shoes he would have done the same thing. Mr Biden said he looked forward to hosing Mr Albanese in Washington DC within the next six months. At a reconvened meeting of the four Quad leaders in Japan they agreed to boost digital connectivity in the Pacific Islands with an Open Access Radio Network and to streamline clean energy supply chains. The four leaders also agreed to develop training fellowships for 1,800 infrastructure experts, cooperate on protecting critical undersea communication cables. Mr Albanese said the agreements 'take forward the Quad's work on climate change and clean energy, infrastructure and connectivity, health security, and critical and emerging technology'. 'The Quad Leaders coming together in-person sends a strong message about Quad unity and what the group is able to achieve together,' Mr Albanese said praising the other leaders for their flexibility in rescheduling the summit. 'Australia is always better off when we work together with our close friends and partners, and engage openly and constructively.' Despite commentary this week suggesting that the scrapped Quad would mark the downfall of the alliance, Mr Biden was able to meet with Mr Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a 36-point joint statement that did not mention China by name, the four leaders took aim at its growing authoritarianism and its ongoing territorial claims in the East and South China Seas. '(In the East and South China Seas) we express serious concern at the militarisation of disputed features, the dangerous use of coastguard and maritime militia vessels, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities,' the joint statement read. 'We emphasise that disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, without threat or use of force.' The leaders together said their vision was for a 'peaceful and prosperous, stable and secure' region that was 'respectful of sovereignty' and free from 'intimidation and coercion'. 'Conscious that ours must not be an era of war, we remain committed to dialogue and diplomacy,' the leaders said. In the context of Ukraine, the leaders said the international security environment was under strain, and the international rules-based order under threat. In a bid to counter China's rising influence in the region, the leaders committed to build and manage infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific, strengthen undersea cable networks, and develop an Open Radio Access Network with Palau. Their commitment stands in contrast to China's multi-billion dollar investment into regional infrastructure. Mr Albanese said he was pleased to have convened the meeting 'to discuss pressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, and deepening the Quad's co-operation'. 'The Quad Leaders coming together in-person sends a strong message about Quad unity and what the group is able to achieve together. Australia is always better off when we work together with our close friends and partners, and engage openly and constructively,' he said. 'I am proud of what we have delivered through the Quad so far, and I will continue to work closely with my Quad colleagues in support of an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, where sovereignty is respected.' In a joint media appearance, Mr Biden thanked his fellow Quad counterparts for accommodating the change of plans; but said the mission remained the same. 'That is to advance our vision of a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and to demonstrate the capacity of democracies to deliver in a shared reason,' he said. 'I think people are going to look back at this Quad in ten, twenty, thirty years from now and say it changed the dynamic not only of the region, but the world. ' ... I think a great deal of the future of our world is going to be written here in the Indo-Pacific.'