Last week, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had signed a trade deal with China. Did it though?

On this episode of After America, Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the Trump administration’s confused approach to China and how Australia is navigating these complex relationships.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 13 June 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.

Join Dr Emma Shortis and Dr Richard Denniss in conversation about After America: Australia and the new world order at the University of Melbourne at 6pm AEST, Wednesday 16 July.

Guest: James Laurenceson, Professor and Director, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney // @j_laurenceson

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

Polling – President Trump, security and the US–Australian alliance, the Australia Institute (March 2025)

UTS:ACRI/BIDA Poll 2024, Australia-China Relations Institute (June 2024)

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore (As Delivered), U.S. Department of Defense (May 2025)

Don’t fall for NATO’s hyped-up rhetoric on defence spending by Xiao Qian, The Australian (June 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

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