Photo by Diliff
In February, President Trump was on a phone call with the Australian Prime Minister. All the sudden, an argument arose and President Trump hung up the phone on the Prime Minister. Vice President Pence made a trip in April to smooth out relations between the United States and Australia.
Per Fox News, “Pence will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday as part of his 10-day, four-country trip to Asia. His agenda includes reassuring Turnbull about the state of the unusually strained U.S.-Australia alliance and laying out the new administration’s priorities for the Pacific Rim.”
Another thing Vice President Pence wanted to do is to make sure with increasing conflict between the US and North Korea, that regionally they were ready in the areas of security and trade.
Huffington Post Australia reports, “As tensions threaten to boil over between the United States and North Korea, U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence is en route to Australia in a visit expected to focus on regional security and trade.”
The United States and Australia have had strong relations since World War I. In fact, Australia is one of the highest contributors for the wars in Iraq and Syria.
Fox News states, “Australia has fought alongside the U.S. in every major conflict since World War I, and is one of the largest contributors to the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq and Syria. The country is also part of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing program with the U.S., along with Canada, Britain and New Zealand.”
This is the first time in 30 years for a Vice President to meet with the Prime Minister before the President did.
Per Huffington Post Australia, “Pence’s visit will be the first time a U.S. Vice President has come to Australia before a President in nearly 30 years. His wife Karen and daughter Charlotte and Audrey are accompanying him on the visit.”
The source of disagreement between the Australian Prime Minister and President Trump was over a refugee resettlement deal that was put into place during the Obama era, in which the US agreed to take in 1250 refugees every year from Australia.
Fox News explains, “Under the agreement, the U.S. would take up to 1,250 refugees that Australia houses in detention camps on the Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Trump, who campaigned on tough-on-immigration policies, was enraged by the agreement, prompting a tense phone call with Turnbull and an angry tweet in which the president dubbed the deal ‘dumb.’”
ABWE works in Australia to reach others with Christ’s hope through various means, especially to those who are in businesses.
ABWE states, “Today, our Australia team is still focused on city ministries and finding creative ways to reach Australians, including at their workplace and in public schools.”
Please pray for continuing good relations between Australia and the United States. Pray for ABWE to reach out to others with Christ’s hope in business and schools. Pray for many to come to know Christ’s hope.
Fox News: VP Pence aims to reassure Australia after tense Trump call
The Huffington Post: U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence Is En Route To Australia
