Australia news live: Wong pushes Chinese counterpart on submarine missile launch in face-to-face Manila meeting

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Manila, where the two held face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting, according to a statement from Wong’s department.

The department said the ministers met last night for their 12th discussion and covered Asean priorities as well as the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The meeting came as Australia continues to manage a delicate relationship with China while emphasising regional security and stability.

The conversation took place in the wings of the Asean gathering in the Philippine capital, where regional diplomacy is focused on cooperation among Pacific and Southeast Asian partners. In the brief account released publicly, the Australian side highlighted peace in the Pacific as a central theme of Wong’s exchange with Wang.

The reported discussion also comes against the backdrop of wider debate over security in the region, including concerns about military activity in the Pacific. Based on the monitored public feed, the latest encounter appears to have been framed by both sides as part of ongoing diplomatic engagement rather than a standalone announcement.

Australia has continued to use high-level meetings to keep channels open with Beijing while pressing its own interests on regional stability, trade and strategic matters. This latest contact in Manila adds to a series of ministerial-level conversations between the two countries.

This article is based on a monitored public feed and attributed to The Guardian World. Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jul/22/australia-news-live-penny-wong-asean-pacific-missile-pauline-hanson-one-nation-labor-conference-tax-anthony-albanese-antisemitism-royal-commission-ntwnfb