The group will include former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce,Labor MPs Meryl Swanson and Libby Coker,Liberal National Party members Scott Buchholz and Terry Young,and Liberal Gavin Pearce.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and any attempt at diplomatic engagement with the island usually infuriates Beijing. A trip in August by US Speaker of the House,Nancy Pelosi,resulted in threats of retaliation by Beijing and the Chinese military conducting live fire exercises around Taiwan.
The trip by the Australian MPs is not expected to be put in the same class as Pelosi’s visit given that she was second in line to the presidency under the American system.
Albanese on Saturday morning said there have been visits by backbench MPs for a “long period of time”.
“This is another one,” Albanese said at a press conference in South Australia.
“It isn’t a government visit;there remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan.”
Asked why the Australian MPs were going,Albanese said:“I have no idea. I’m not going. You should ask them.”