Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday he is hopeful that the next meeting of the Quad leaders, comprising Australia, the United States, Japan, and India, will take place in the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking to reporters in Malaysia, where he is attending the ASEAN summit, Albanese said the four-nation grouping remains an important forum for regional cooperation and security.
“I am hopeful there will be a meeting in the first quarter, I would hope, of next year,” he said.
A Quad summit had originally been expected to be hosted by India in 2025. The leaders’ meetings rotate among the member countries.
Albanese noted that U.S. President Donald Trump faces a “busy period” ahead, including his participation in the APEC summit in South Korea later this week.
During the ASEAN gathering, Albanese also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang for their seventh bilateral meeting.
The Australian leader said he raised concerns about a recent encounter between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian maritime patrol aircraft over the South China Sea.
According to Australia’s Defence Department, the Chinese jet released flares dangerously close to the patrol plane, which was conducting routine surveillance operations.
“I made the position directly clear that this was an incident of concern for Australia,” Albanese said.
Despite the tensions, Albanese stressed that relations between Canberra and Beijing, Australia’s largest trading partner, continue to stabilise through sustained dialogue.
“We have disagreements, and friends are able to discuss issues frankly, I did that,” he added.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
