Overview

• Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews appeared in a group photo at a Tiananmen Square military parade alongside Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un during China’s WWII commemorations.
• Coalition figures, including Liberal senator Jane Hume, condemned the decision as a lapse in judgment, and some critics labeled Andrews and fellow ex-premier Bob Carr “useful idiots.”
• Lowy Institute analyst Richard McGregor said Canberra made a deliberate choice not to send a senior representative, with only a middle-ranked diplomat and a defence attaché attending.
• Bob Carr attended anniversary events in Beijing but did not go to the parade, later noting he had no interest in watching weapons displays.
• Andrews has not answered media questions about the trip, as Premier Jacinta Allan praised his standing in China and reporting highlighted his post-office consulting work with Chinese-linked firms and Fortescue.