Morrison meets Biden for first time at historic G7 summit

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has held his first in-person talk with President Joe Biden at a landmark G7 summit aimed at preparing the world against future pandemics.

Mr Morrison sat down with Mr Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a 45-minute meeting where, unlike similar G7 talks, no video cameras were allowed.

Speaking following the meeting this morning, the PM said the trio spoke "at length" about the Indo-Pacific region and the issues that impact all three nations there.

READ MORE: How Donald Trump is still haunting the G7 summit

"It was a meeting of great friends and allies who share a view on the world. It was a great opportunity for my first meeting, of course, with the president," Mr Morrison said.

"I've known Boris for many years. There was a very easy understanding amongst the three of us."

Nine's political editor Chris Uhlmann said everything spoken about in the meeting is "code" for discussing China.

"It is one of the reasons that President Joe Biden is pushing so hard at this meeting and the meetings that he's had with G7 leaders - all of it is about what kind of language they are going to use around China and its aggression in the Indo-Pacific," Mr Uhlmann said.

"This entire meeting is all about China and that is front and centre in the prime minister's mind when he had the meeting."

READ MORE: Biden urges G7 leaders to call out China

Mr Uhlmann said much of the meeting's purpose is to strengthen long-held alliances with the United States and the United Kingdom that have existed since the Second World War.

"Joe Biden has made it clear that he wants to build the alliances back again and he's also made it clear that what concerns him most is the rise of China and the strategic threat that it poses through the United States in the Indo-Pacific," Mr Uhlmann said.

"And that is really what this G7 is all about in the end. It is whether or not these western democracies can get their act together, can speak with one voice, and can help to shape the 21st century because if we don't do it, then China and Russia will."

You can find out more details about how to book your vaccine through the Federal Government health site here.



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