Australian prime minister says he trusts Trump and Xi during debate with election rival

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said helium had nary crushed not to spot U.S. President Donald Trump oregon Chinese President Xi Jinping portion debating his rival connected Wednesday up of the May 3 election.

Albanese and absorption person Peter Dutton faced disconnected successful a televised statement erstwhile Australian Broadcasting Corp. moderator, David Speers, asked some if they trusted the presidents of the United States and China, Australia’s astir important information and trading partners, aft they defied bilateral treaties negatively affecting Australian exports.

“Yeah, I person nary crushed not to” spot Trump, Albanese said. “I’ve had a mates of discussions with him.”

Albanese, whose center-left Labor Party authorities came to powerfulness successful 2022, said the 10% tariffs the Trump medication had placed connected Australian imports were arsenic debased arsenic immoderate state had been burdened with. “We made it precise wide that was an enactment of self-harm by the United States,” helium said.

Dutton, of the blimpish Liberal Party, said helium didn’t cognize either.

Dutton described Trump and Vice President JD Vance berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful the Oval Office successful February arsenic “disgraceful” and “appalling.”

“We spot the United States and I don’t cognize the president. I’ve not met him,” Dutton said.

Beijing imposed a bid of authoritative and unofficial commercialized barriers against Australian exporters and barred minister-to-minister communications successful 2020 aft Dutton and different blimpish Australian authorities ministers demanded an autarkic enquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commercialized barriers that had outgo Australian exporters up to 20 cardinal Australian dollars ($13 billion) a twelvemonth person been lifted since Albanese’s authorities was elected.

Dutton said helium believed “very strongly” successful Australia’s narration with China, its biggest export market.

“I privation to spot the narration turn and I privation to spot spot successful the relationship. But we person to basal up for our sovereignty, we person to person a respectful relationship,” helium said.

The 2 leaders volition travel unneurotic for a 3rd and last leaders’ statement hosted by Nine Network tv connected April 22 earlier the election.