Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied the lack of a first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump is hurting Australian interests, arguing no other country had secured better trade arrangements against the US president’s tariff walls and Australia “gives and deserves respect”.

Speaking to The Australian Financial Review as he returned from last week’s five-day, six-night visit to China, Albanese also rejected criticism the trip had failed to produce any concrete outcomes and that he was being too deferential towards Beijing as geopolitical tensions ratcheted up.