President Joe Biden is pressing forward with this week’s state visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, carving out time to nurture the relationship with a critical US ally in the Pacific against the backdrop of escalating fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The state visit, only the fourth since Biden took office, is a reminder of how he’s pursuing long-term plans to counter China’s influence even as bloody conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, where the Russian invasion continues after almost two years, remain the most immediate concerns.