Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese has predicted doom for the Turnbull government following last week’s embarrassing parliamentary performance, tipping it may have as little as a year to run.

“If Malcolm Turnbull thinks he is going to be defeated within his party room, then he will think about going to the people, rather than having what occurred to Tony Abbott happen to him,” Mr Albanese said on Sunday.

The government suffered three defeats in parliament late on Thursday in the absence of some Coalition members, the first time it has happened to a majority government in over 50 years.

Mr Albanese was manager of government business under the minority Gillard Labor government and never suffered such a humiliating defeat in the parliament.

“They couldn’t survive three days, they lost control of the house,” he said.

“It appeared that they disliked each other so much with their internals, they were racing for the door to get out of there.”

Manager of opposition business Tony Burke said had Labor won the final motion seeking parliament’s endorsement of a banking royal commission, it would have challenged the government’s legitimacy.

China leaders summit

Open markets, tax reform and security were on the agenda at meetings on the G20 sidelines. Photo: AP/AAP

Mr Albanese’s comments came as the PM, who some say is fast losing his grip on power, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hangzhou, where open markets, tax reform and security were on the agenda.

President Xi described Australia as an “important member of the G20” and China attached great importance to developing relations, despite military analysts warning that artificial islands in the South China Sea have given China greater ability to launch attacks on Australia.

China’s presence in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea could allow stealth bombers to more easily approach Australia undetected and the artificial islands could become a naval “bastion” in the event of a conflict, military analysts told Fairfax Media.

Australia needed to upgrade its missile defences to protect against the increased possibility of strikes as China continues to modernise its military, former national security adviser Andrew Shearer said.

Chinese President Xi also told Mr Turnbull he hoped Australia continued to provide a fair, transparent and predictable policy environment for foreign investors.

China was angered after Australia last month blocked the $10 billion sale of Ausgrid, the country’s biggest energy grid, to Chinese bidders after they failed to overcome security concerns.

He said he hoped the two sides would remain committed to “mutual trust and mutual benefit, expanded practical co-operation, increased people to people and cultural exchanges and healthy and stable development of our comprehensive strategic partnership”.

Mr Turnbull said the G20 trade facilitation agreement being discussed at the summit would be important to opening economic borders.

New action was also needed to tackle multinational tax avoidance.

Mr Turnbull said the G20 trade facilitation agreement would be important in opening economic borders. Photo: AP/AAP

“We are very pleased to see the very strong agenda to tackle multinational tax avoidance that was begun in Brisbane several years ago is being continued,” he told President Xi.

“And I can assure you my government has already enacted and committed to further strong measures to ensure that, in this very transformed digital economy the benefits of which we all enjoy.”

He said the G20 summit, which started on Sunday, should strive to ensure “all people understand the benefits of trade, open markets and innovation”.

-with AAP