Joe Biden: US President’s Australia no show triggers cancellation of Quad Leaders’ Summit

The Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney next week has been cancelled after US President Joe Biden pulled out over America’s debt ceiling crisis.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the meeting — which brings together the leaders of Australia, the US, Japan and India — would not go ahead next Wednesday.

However, the four leaders will instead meet on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on the weekend.

“The Quad leaders’ meeting will not be going ahead in Sydney next week. We, though, will be having that discussion between Quad leaders in Japan,” Mr Albanese said.

“I thank (Japanese) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida for his invitation for me to attend the G7, and it is appropriate that we talk.

“The Quad is an important body, and we want to make sure that it occurs at the leadership level, and we’ll be having that discussion over the weekend.”

Mr Albanese said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would travel to Sydney next week for a community event, despite the Quad meeting being cancelled.

He also confirmed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would not make the trip as no bilateral program was planned beyond the Quad.

It comes after Mr Biden overnight cancelled his trip to Australia next week, just hours after Mr Albanese confirmed he was visiting and would address Federal Parliament in Canberra on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister said Mr Biden had expressed his disappointment at not being able to go to Sydney for the Quad meeting and deliver his address to Parliament.

He said if the US Government failed to strike a deal on the debt ceiling, there would be “drastic consequences” for the global economy.

“The blocking and the disruption that’s occurring in domestic politics in the United States, with the debt ceiling issue, means that that has to be solved prior to June 1,” he said.

“Otherwise there are quite drastic consequences for the US economy, which will flow on to the global economy.”

Mr Biden’s trip to Canberra and Sydney was set to be the first visit by a US President since 2014.

The Prime Minister said the pair agreed they would “work to reschedule his visit to Australia at the earliest opportunity” and revealed he was looking forward to travelling to Washington later this year for a State visit.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierr overnight released a statement to confirm Mr Biden was postponing his trip over the wrangling of a deal to raise the US Government’s $US31.4 trillion ($A46.9 trillion) debt ceiling and avert an economically catastrophic default.

At a press conference, Mr Biden said, “defaulting on the debt is simply not an option” and that “policy differences between the parties” were no excuse for default.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the President’s cancellation was disappointing but understandable.

“There are domestic issues that the President has to attend to, and he’d be a welcome guest into our country at any time,” Mr Dutton told Sky News.

“This was going to be an opportunity on a bipartisan basis to welcome him to our country. The AUKUS arrangement is historic. The Quad is essential for our region, and they’re important partners.”

The US President also cancelled his Papua New Guinea trip for a Pacific leaders’ meeting on Monday, with the day being declared a national public holiday for Mr Biden’s historic visit.