US President Joe Biden to head home from Hiroshima in wake of default crisis

US President Biden will return to the United States on Sunday, following the completion of the G7 summit, in order to be back for meetings with Congressional leaders to ensure that Congress takes action by the deadline to avert default, the White House in a statement said.

The US President has spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony  Albanese earlier today to inform him that he will be postponing his trip to Australia.  He also invited the Prime Minister for an official state visit at a time to be agreed by the teams.  The President’s team engaged with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea’s team to inform them as well. President Biden was to visit Papua New Guinea amid reports that during his visit, the US would sign a security agreement to counter Chinese inroads in the Solomon islands.

According to Reuters Australian Prime Minister Albanese said on Wednesday a Quad summit would not go ahead in Sydney next week without U.S. President Joe Biden, who postponed his trip to Australia due to debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

Albanese said the leaders of Australia, the United States, India and Japan would instead meet at the G7 in Japan this weekend, after  a trip to Sydney on the second leg of his upcoming Asia trip, which was also to have included a visit to Papua New Guinea.

The US President has made clear that members of Congress from both parties and chambers must come together to prevent default, as they have done 78 times before. The President and his team will continue to work with Congressional leadership to deliver a budget agreement that can reach the President’s desk.

The statement added that revitalizing and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the President. This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity. We look forward to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year.

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