When Labor was returned to power in 2022, the China-Australia relationship began to stabilise after what had been a rocky few years.
So, where do things stand now, on the precipice of a new year? To understand what to expect in 2026, we interviewed several scholars in Australia and China.
Some Chinese scholars we spoke with pointed out a stable relationship does not necessarily mean a friendly one. One tension point they cited was what they see as Canberra’s efforts to help the United States limit China’s growing regional influence — especially in the Pacific.
