A conversation with a veteran Australian diplomat, commentator and politician on his prime minister’s recent visit to China.   Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, which follows Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Shanghai and Beijing, Ravi hosts the veteran Australian diplomat and Conservative Party politician Dave Sharma. They discuss the state of Australia’s relations with China that have come under intense strain these past three years, the lessons Canberra drew from its spat with China and the future of the Western alliance in the Indo-Pacific. They also look at whether Australian consensus over the nuclear submarine deal that is at the core of the Aukus military arrangement with Britain and the United States, has collapsed. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:52 Why this trip was important for stabilising Australia-China ties 6:37 Did the previous Scott Morrison government push too hard against China? 10:52 What the visit means for the future of the Indo-Pacific strategy 12:40 Has consensus on Aukus collapsed in Australia? 16:22 "Quad has pushed China to be more cooperative": Dave Sharma Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected] Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Special edition series: True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3  The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.