Australia, U.S. Leaders to Discuss Pacific Infrastructure, Critical Minerals

Australia and the United States will announce plans to cooperate on critical minerals and bolster Pacific Islands infrastructure as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Washington this week, a senior Biden administration official said.
Albanese’s White House schedule begins Tuesday, Washington time, focussed on how Australia’s security alliance with the United States is broadening into an economic and technology partnership, he told reporters in Washington on Monday.
The two leaders will flesh out details of further cyber security cooperation, in addition to a $5 billion Microsoft investment in Australia, the Biden administration official said.
Several announcements, including the infrastructure project, will showcase U.S.-Australia cooperation in the Pacific, as both leaders see it as “imperative” to focus on the Pacific Islands, even as the U.S. manages the crisis in the Middle East, the official said.
A critical minerals task force to boost private investment in Australia’s rare earths industry and reduce global reliance on China will be the centrepiece of Albanese’s schedule on Tuesday. Albanese said Australia wants to work with U.S. companies.