The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has completed her first month in the country and was, perhaps unsurprisingly, more public when compared to the first month of her Chinese counterpart Xiao Qian.
Kennedy first touched down in Sydney on July 22, and said she was “so excited to begin my service”. Three days later, Kennedy met with governor-general David Hurley to present her credentials as US ambassador to Australia.
Comparatively, Qian arrived in Australia on January 26 this year, and met with Hurley on February 10 to present his own credentials as the Chinese ambassador to Australia. Qian said he saw his role as “a noble mission and, more importantly, a great responsibility”.
It took Kennedy two days after meeting with the governor general to meet with ministers: she met with prime minister Anthony Albanese on July 27, also meeting foreign minister Penny Wong and defence minister Richard Marles the same day.
Just yesterday, Kennedy also met with minister for home affairs Clare O’Neil.
A pleasure to talk with United States Ambassador Caroline Kennedy today. She’s a genuine friend to Australia, committed to working for peace and stability in our region. pic.twitter.com/b6Os9udHcv
— Clare O'Neil MP (@ClareONeilMP) August 22, 2022
Qian did eventually meet with then-foreign minister Marise Payne, 27 days after presenting his credentials to Hurley, and then met with then-shadow foreign minister Wong a week later.
Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador has yet to meet with an Australian prime minister. After his first month, Qian requested a meeting with then-prime minister Scott Morrison but was declined, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
The US embassy in Australia has been highly public about other engagements by Kennedy, including a meeting with Solomon Islands high commissioner Robert Sisilo in Canberra and a visit to the Pacific nation with US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman.
The visit to the Solomon Islands came in the midst of ongoing tensions over China’s involvement in the country.
In terms of meetings with Australian public servants, Kennedy met with DFAT secretary Jan Adams early this month.
The ambassador also met up with Quad partners: Japanese ambassador Shingo Yamagami, Indian high commissioner to Australia Manpreet Vohra, DPM&C deputy secretary Quad, AUKUS, and naval shipbuilding Scott Dewar, and DFAT deputy secretary geostrategic group Justin Hayhurst, last Friday.
Kennedy, in her first official trip to Sydney, met with tech giant Google, UNSW, and climate tech startup EnergyLab. She was also in attendance at the government’s electrical vehicle summit.
Meanwhile, Qian had two other public meetings in his first month: he gave a speech praising the actions of senior constable Kelly Foster, who died rescuing a drowning Chinese citizen, and attending a Lunar New Year event at ANU.
Outside of his first month, Qian did address the National Press Club earlier this month, as reported by The Mandarin.
:
China’s ambassador to Australia meets Penny Wong to discuss bilateral relations
Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.