Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned Anthony Albanese against accepting an invitation to visit Beijing saying it will look like the Australian government is kowtowing to the Chinese authorities. The warning comes after Mr. Albanese accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit China before the end of the year. During a Coalition party meeting on Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison told members that the Albanese government’s “acquiescent and concessional approach” towards Beijing, particularly the government’s “keenness” in restoring relations, was concerning, “He was warning us about [Chinese leader] Xi and his regime—urging us to hold the line and not follow Labor’s approach,” one opposition MP who listened to Mr. Morrison’s speech told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/agreeing-to-meet-with-xi-a-sign-of-weakness-former-pm-warns-5488052
NEW DELHI, India—Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday that the United States is keeping a careful eye on the economic situation in China, but there is no reason to worry that it will have a significant impact on the United States. Speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in India, Ms. Yellen said China faces a variety of short- and long-term economic challenges. She highlighted low consumer spending and long-standing problems in the property sector of China. “We’ve been monitoring carefully, including the less of a pickup in consumer spending than had been anticipated in the aftermath of the COVID restrictions, as well as long-standing issues with respect to the property sector and debt related to that,” Ms. Yellen said.... 
The Business Council of Canada is calling on the government to address the economic security threats posed by malign state actors, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It also advised Ottawa to grant its intelligence agency the authority to share crucial information with private firms facing foreign interference. Composed of Canada’s foremost business leaders, the council issued a stark warning through a report published on Sept. 7. The report noted that successive Canadian governments have either overlooked, underestimated, or outright neglected this principle that economic security is national security. “The current narrative surrounding malign foreign influence is rightly focused on the integrity of democratic processes and the safety and security of targeted ethnic or cultural groups,” the report said....
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will look to continue ramping up ties with the Philippines with direct talks with the country’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sept. 8. This follows the announcement in August that Australia would look to work more closely with the Philippines on defence and security-related issues. “The Philippines is a critical nation for Australia’s interest,” Mr. Albanese said on Sept. 7. “We have strong economic relations with the Philippines. We also have strong cooperation when it comes to defence arrangements, and in addition to that, we have a strong diaspora in Australia.” Mr. Albanese noted that he will be the first Australian prime minister in 20 years to hold formal bilateral talks with the Philippines’ leader....