Andrews, Carr on the guest list for big Beijing military parade

Former Labor premiers Daniel Andrews and Bob Carr have been invited as guests alongside dictators Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un to attend a major Chinese military parade at Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Chinese state media Xinhua has published the list of former and current foreign leaders invited to observe the military parade celebrating China’s “anti-fascist” role in the war.

The guest list also includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. No Australian MPs will attend, and no leaders of Western democracies will attend, except for Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Australian officials from the Defence Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will attend the ceremony.

Carr, a former NSW premier, confirmed to this masthead that he was attending and paying for his own travel. He will speak at a Chinese Institute of International Relations event and said he would spruik Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policy of stabilising relations with China.

“Why shouldn’t I go and talk to two think tanks and talk up the commitment of the Australian government to the relationship, and to quote the prime minister himself?” Carr said, adding that most Australians did not want war with the Asian superpower.

Andrews’ office was contacted on Friday morning. The office had not responded at the time of publication, but Chinese-language media claims both the former Victorian leader and Carr would attend.

Andrews was the first Australian leader to visit China after the COVID-19 pandemic on a secretive trip without media, which cost Victorian taxpayers more than $80,000. It was his seventh visit.

Andrews controversially signed up Victoria to China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The federal Morrison government ripped up the Belt and Road deal over concerns about foreign interference.

Since leaving politics, Andrews has worked with Andrew Forrest’s firm, Fortescue, and Visy boss Anthony Pratt. He has also set up two businesses with his former staffer Marty Mei. In 2020, this masthead reported that Mei had been instrumental in landing a $100,000 donation to the Victorian Labor Party through a key Chinese business group years before Victoria signed up to the Belt and Road scheme.

Carr, a former foreign minister, is a leading advocate for warmer relations with China and previously headed up the Australia-China Relations Institute. He had another trip to China earlier this year.

He will speak at a Chinese Institute of International Relations event and said he would spruik the Albanese government’s policy towards China, which came after years of turbulence under the Morrison government.

“I’ll be reflecting the success of Australia-China relations under the Albanese government and making reference to speeches from the prime minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.”

Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama and former New Zealand prime ministers Helen Clark and John Key were also included on the list of attendees.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Hong Lei said there were international guests invited from all five continents, showing that the international community recognised China’s contribution to ending World War II.

A press conference held by China’s State Council and the Central Military Commission on August 20 revealed China would unveil new weapons and equipment during the parade, including tanks, carrier-based aircraft and fighter jets.

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