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This week, President Trump cemented yet another fantastic, America-first deal — this time with our strong ally, Australia.
President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Albanese met at the White House on Monday, where they announced an agreement for the U.S. to procure critical minerals from Australia. This deal couldn't come at a better time. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Chinese Communist Party — which controls and refines most of the world's rare earths and critical minerals — announced new export controls that could wreak havoc on the west by cutting off its access to these materials. The deal between the U.S. and Australia will strengthen both of our economies and bolster U.S. national security by reducing our reliance on China.
I was also extremely pleased to see the president voice his support for accelerating AUKUS, the security pact between the U.S., U.K., and Australia. While chairing the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I authored and passed legislation to implement AUKUS, and I've been told in my security briefings that this security pact is what keeps Chairman Xi Jinping up at night. I look forward to seeing how the administration strengthens this security pact, which serves as a critical deterrent to the CCP’s malign activities in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese proved the U.S.-Australia alliance is as strong as ever. As co-chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus, I also met with Prime Minister Albanese and other members of the Australian delegation this week to discuss AUKUS, the exciting new minerals deal, and more.
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