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Penny Wong

(黃英賢)

Penny Wong
黃英賢
The latest news and top stories on Penny Wong, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs since May 2022. She has a background in law and previously held portfolios including Minister for Climate Change and Water, and Minister for Finance and Deregulation.
A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on July 6, 2026. Photo: Xinhua via AP
My Take

My Take | How China’s rare missile test sparked hysterical hypocrisy

Western pundits were quick to denounce Beijing. But far more frequent US launches rate barely a mention.

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Pacific nations

Opinion | Panic over China’s missile test is born of Western bias

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China's military weapons

What does China’s submarine missile test mean for its nuclear triad expansion?

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China's military weapons

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

An unprecedented missile launch by a PLA nuclear submarine will prompt Nato leaders to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region.

Submarine-launched JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade in Beijing last year. Photo: Reuters
India

Quad’s proposed port project in Fiji risks being ‘another empty promise’

Analysts warn that a lack of commitment by the four-member bloc on the project could open the door for China to expand its economic clout.

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Taiwan

Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for ‘crossing red line’ over Taiwan

New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’.

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US-China relations

Quad foreign ministers fight for relevance as leaders’ summit remains elusive

Critical minerals and Indo-Pacific security took centre stage amid doubts over US commitment and a delayed leaders’ summit.

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From left: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose in New Delhi at a meeting of Quad foreign ministers. Photo: Kyodo
China exports

Australian trade minister to visit China to secure fuel during Iran war crunch

Beijing tightened jet fuel exports after the war broke out, forcing Canberra to seek alternative suppliers.

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China-Australia relations

Why China’s jet fuel deal with Australia underscores Canberra’s balancing act

Meeting between top diplomats Wang Yi and Penny Wong signals continuing thaw in bilateral relationship after years of diplomatic freeze.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump, Putin talk Iran and Ukraine, US energy exports up: what happened overnight

The two conflicts could end on a ‘similar timetable’ US President Donald Trump has said.

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While the world remains mired in a fuel crisis with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the US is expanding its energy footprint abroad. Photo: Reuters
Pacific nations

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

Boats ply the waterway in Buka, Papua New Guinea. Many Pacific Island communities rely on boat transport for movement. Photo: AFP
Pacific nations

Australia pledges US$1.7 million in aid after Cyclone Maila kills 11 in Pacific

Entire villages were destroyed in the storm, was briefly classified as a Category 5 cyclone.

Hong Kong national security law

Hong Kong court dismisses appeals of 12 activists over landmark subversion case

Court also upholds acquittal of Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, with Department of Justice to consider appealing ruling.

Hong Kong politics

Beijing slams US, UK, Australia and EU over Jimmy Lai sentencing remarks

Commissioner’s office says it summoned representatives from the countries and bloc in Hong Kong to voice ‘strong dissatisfaction’.

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Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday sentenced the 78-year-old Jimmy Lai to 20 years in jail for national security crimes. Photo: AFP
Australia

Australia demands answers from Laos over methanol poisoning ‘injustice’

While 10 were convicted of destroying evidence, not a single person has been charged in connection with the deaths of two Melbourne teens.

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Bianca Jones (left) and Holly Morton-Bowles were among six tourists who died after drinking tainted cocktails in Laos in 2024. Photo: Handout
Jimmy Lai trial

Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai jailed for 20 years under national security law

Beijing hails punishment as a ‘powerful declaration’ against those who dare challenge the city’s national security law.

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United States

Not ‘Trump-compatible’? China expert Rudd exits Australia’s US ambassador role

Kevin ‌Rudd left his post a year ‍earlier than planned following criticism from US President Donald Trump at White House meeting in October.

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United States

Rubio and Hegseth discuss Indo-Pacific security with Australian counterparts

At the talks, Rubio hailed cooperation between the US and Canberra on critical minerals, defence production and troop deployments.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the State Department in Washington on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Australian senator slammed as ‘racist’ for wearing burka in parliament

Far-right politician Pauline Hanson has long campaigned against Islamic clothing during her parliamentary career.

Australia

Russian airbase worries overshadow Australia-Indonesia defence treaty

Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Jakarta to consult Canberra on issues related to regional security.

China-Australia relations

Call for ‘Pacific Eyes’ intelligence body to offset China’s growing presence

Think tank proposes dedicated alliance – initially with Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji – to avoid being ‘blindsided’.

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A new report from an Australian think tank suggests Australia and other Pacific nations form a network to help plug intelligence gaps, particularly amid what it called China’s “unprecedented security inroads” in the region. Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP
Australia

‘Complete nonsense’: Australia hits back at Israel for claiming Iran ban credit

A minister rejected suggestions by Israel that Netanyahu’s ‘timely intervention’ prompted Canberra to take action against Tehran.

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Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi leaves Tehran’s embassy in Canberra on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Australia

‘Unacceptable’: Australia to expel Iranian envoy over antisemitic attacks

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tehran was behind two antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

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Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong slams Western countries over criticism of bounties for second day

‘Anti-China organisations’ and foreign countries making ‘irresponsible remarks’ about Hong Kong, government says.

Australia

Opinion | Australia should not sabotage its own efforts to boost ties with China

Albanese’s meetings in China suggest the bilateral relationship is stabilising but that there is little desire for significant policy advances.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gestures as he speaks to the media during a press conference in Chengdu in Sichuan province, China, on July 17. Photo: EPA
Australia

In US-China tug of war, Australia puts itself first

With one eye on the past and the other on the Asia-Pacific’s future, Australia’s prime minister is championing sovereignty in an uncertain age.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
India

India’s global clout in doubt after failing to sway SCO, Quad on Pakistan

SCO did not mention the militant attack in Pahalgam at its recent meeting, while the Quad’s statement on the incident excluded Pakistan.

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The Philippines

USS George Washington’s Manila visit signals US commitment amid ‘crowded’ seas

The USS George Washington’s Manila port call comes just days after China deployed two of its carriers to the Western Pacific for military drills.

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