MPs toe the party line on trips

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 22, 2026

In October 2026, two separate Australian parliamentary delegations visited Beijing and Taipei, with the Beijing trip featuring a bipartisan group led by Labor members and the Taipei visit dominated by Coalition representatives with minimal Labor participation. This split approach reflects internal political divisions over engagement with China and Taiwan and illustrates the challenges Australian politicians face in balancing domestic interests and regional geopolitical sensitivities.

In October 2026, two separate parliamentary delegations from Australia conducted visits to Beijing and Taipei, reflecting differing approaches within political parties toward engagement with China and Taiwan.

The delegation to Beijing comprised six Australian politicians, led by Milton Dick, Speaker of the House and a member of the governing Labor Party. While described as bipartisan, the group included four Labor members and two from the Coalition—the Nationals deputy leader Darren Chester and Liberal MP Melissa Price from Western Australia. Notably, the Labor contingent featured three MPs representing electorates with significant Chinese-Australian populations: Sam Lim (Tangney, WA), Carina Garland (Chisholm, Victoria), and Sally Sitou (Reid, NSW). Lim and Garland had previously taken part in a 2024 parliamentary delegation to Beijing, led by Senate President Sue Lines, also of Labor. Their repeated participation suggests strategic engagement with Beijing ahead of electoral campaigns.

Concurrently, a separate delegation traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, consisting of five members, dominated by the Liberal Party with four representatives: Senator Slade Brockman (WA), MPs Ben Small (WA), Mary Aldred (Victoria), and Zoe McKenzie (Victoria). The sole Labor representative was Richard Dowling, a new MP from Tasmania. The limited Labor participation drew criticism from pro-Taiwan sources, some of whom expressed concern that there might not be any members from the governing party on the trip. One source described the outcome as "disappointing."

Efforts to explain Labor’s limited involvement in the Taipei visit included a claim by a Labor MP that the party adheres to a policy against undertaking "non-official trips." This stance contrasts with the actions of party leader Anthony Albanese, who prior to becoming leader had headed an Australian parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in 2018.

The contrasting composition and approach of the two delegations underscore ongoing complexities within Australian politics regarding engagement with China and Taiwan. While the Beijing visit included strong bipartisan representation and MPs with direct ties to electorates with Chinese-Australian communities, the Taipei trip remained largely a Coalition initiative with minimal Labor involvement. These dynamics highlight the delicate balance Australian politicians navigate amid sensitive geopolitical relations in the Indo-Pacific region.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.