Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews did not seek diplomatic advice before attending China’s anti-Western show of military might in Beijing, according to official sources, where he posed for a photo metres from dictators Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.
In a move that stunned many in the federal government, Andrews shook President Xi Jinping’s hand on the red carpet in Tiananmen Square, before posing for a “family photo” near leaders that also included the Iranian president and Myanmar’s junta leader.
Official sources not authorised to speak on the record said Andrews did not ask the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or anyone else in the government for advice on personal security or how to protect Australia’s national interest when talking to Chinese officials.
Andrews’ attendance at the ceremony, which marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II, was condemned by former Queensland Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a step too far, and his appearance in the group photo with dictators and leaders of rogue states shocked Albanese government ministers.
Former NSW premier Bob Carr, who also travelled to China for the event, chose to skip the military parade due to what he called its “Soviet-style” aesthetic.
Andrews was contacted for comment but has not made any public remarks since it was revealed last Friday that he would attend the parade, which Chinese propaganda has cast as a victory for China rather than Western allies.
Albanese declined to endorse or condemn Andrews’ presence in Beijing, saying only that the former premier was “not meeting them” when asked if Andrews should be at an event with Putin or Kim, both of whom have been condemned by Australia and on the world stage for their disregard of the international rule of law.
Australia sent the embassy’s defence attache to some of the ceremonies, but Andrews was the only dignitary at the parade.
Labor has sought to strike a balance with China, softening its tone to boost trade at the same time as procuring AUKUS nuclear submarines to deter the Asian superpower that seeks to dominate the Indo-Pacific.
