Tuesday 24 May 2022 07:01 AM Anthony Albanese reveals China's first message to him while in Tokyo trends now

Anthony Albanese has received a congratulatory letter from the Chinese Government after winning Saturday's election, he revealed.

The new Prime Minister said he would respond 'appropriately in time' to the letter from Premier Li Keqiang after the Quad leaders' summit in Tokyo. 

The letter appears to be an olive branch after Beijing refused to speak to Canberra following Scott Morrison's calls for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 in 2020.  

In a press conference at the summit, Mr Albanese also said there will be no change to Australia's position on whether to send troops if Taiwan were invaded by China.

Mr Albanese said the US position of 'strategic ambiguity' - or keeping China guessing - was still in place.

'I confirm there's no change in Australia's position,' he said.

'There should be no unilateral change to the status quo. Our position has not changed.' 

It came after gaffe-prone President Biden said 'yes' when asked by a reporter if the US would respond militarily to an invasion of the island.

Mr Biden's aides quickly scrambled to confirm there was no change to US policy. 

There is no mutual defense treaty between the US and Taiwan, but America sells the Taiwanese military hardware.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said President Biden's comment 'highlighted our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help provide Taiwan the means to defend itself.'

Also in the press conference Mr Albanese revealed he had a 25-minute phone call with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson which focussed on climate change.

'We had quite a good discussion, longer than I thought it would be,' he said, adding that Mr Johnson was pleased about Labor's commitment to take more climate action. 

He denied he would move to close down coal mines in Australia.

'We have our policy. We will do exactly what I've said we would do in terms of our powering Australia plan. It's all out there. It's fully costed. It's ready to go. It will make a big difference,' he said. 

While meeting his counterparts in Tokyo, Mr Albanese declared he is looking forward to hosting the 2023 Quad leaders event. 

'Today I had the pleasure of meeting with PM Kishida, POTUS and Narendra Modi at the Quad Summit in Tokyo,' he wrote on Twitter.

'We affirmed our shared commitment to the Quad, and to a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific. I look forward to hosting Quad Leaders in Australia in 2023.'

In the meeting on Tuesday, President Biden praised Mr Albanese's stamina after the new Prime Minister flew to Tokyo on his first day in the job. 

The 79-year-old US President, who famously fell asleep during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, told Mr Albanese: 'If you fall asleep while you're here, it's OK'.

In his first appearance on the world stage, the Labor leader laughed at President Biden's self-deprecating joke along with the diplomats and journalists in the room. 

He also beamed from ear to ear as he posed for photos with his fellow centre-left leader, who remarked that his appearance at the summit just hours after taking office was 'quite extraordinary'.

Mr Albanese, 59, was sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday and immediately flew to Tokyo for the Quad summit with the US, Japan and India.

The alliance was set up to counter the growing assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific and the first leaders' meeting was in Washington DC in 2021.

Mr Albanese will be returning to Australia on Wednesday afternoon after the whirlwind visit.

In his short speech to his fellow leaders, President Biden congratulated Mr Albanese on winning Saturday's election. 

'Prime Minister Albanese, I welcome you to your first Quad meeting. Like I said, you got sworn in, got on a plane and if you fall asleep while you're here, it's OK because I don't know how you're doing it,' he said.

'It's really quite extraordinary just getting off the campaign trail as well. 

'Congratulations on your election. When you won and I called you, we greatly appreciate your commitment on being here so soon after taking office.' 

Mr Albanese said that Australia's commitment to the Quad remained steadfast despite the change in government. 

'We have had a change

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