In wake of tense Trump call, Pence aims to soothe Australia
SYDNEY, Australia — More than two months after President Donald Trump got into a spat with the leader of Australia, Vice-President Mike Pence will be working to smooth over any lingering hard feelings.
Pence will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday as part of his 10-day, four-country trip to Asia. His agenda includes reassuring Turnbull about the state of the unusually strained U.S.-Australia alliance and laying out the new administration’s priorities for the Pacific Rim.
“Partly, you could call it a diplomatic clean-up mission,” said Michael Auslin of the American Enterprise Institute, an analyst on Asian security issues. Auslin said Pence will be more focused on offering Turnbull a roadmap for how the two countries can work together during Trump’s presidency. “It’s about re-establishing relations.”
The affection the longtime allies usually share for each other is rooted in decades of co-operation on defence, intelligence and trade. Australia has fought alongside the U.S. in every major conflict since World War I, and is one of the largest contributors to the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq and Syria. The country is also part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing program with the U.S., along with Canada, Britain and New Zealand.