BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Monday, state media reported, a high-water mark in their countries’ ties following years of tensions that cut billions of dollars in trade.
China is Australia’s biggest trading partner, but ties plummeted in 2020 after Canberra’s then-conservative government barred Chinese tech giant Huawei from 5G contracts and called for an inquest into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A furious China then slapped punitive tariffs on a slew of Australian commodities, including wine, coal, and barley, as the relationship descended into a deep freeze.
But China has reversed course since Albanese took power in May 2022, lifting most of its restrictions on Australian commodities and saying it wants “healthy and stable” relations. Beijing’s state media reported that both leaders met on Monday afternoon. It did not provide further details.
Ahead of their meeting in Beijing, Albanese — the first Australian leader to visit China in more than 7 years — predicted a “constructive discussion” with Xi Jinping and said he saw “promising signs” that ties were improving, according to AFP news agency.
President Xi Jinping met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese @AlboMP. PM Albanese’s visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of Mr. Gough Whitlam’s first trip to China as Australian PM. pic.twitter.com/CSgOOhVZzh
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) November 6, 2023
China is Australia’s Most Important Trading Partner
Albanese said that we have already seen a number of the impediments to trade between our two countries removed. China is our most important trading partner. He further said that it represents more than 25% of our exports, and one in four of our jobs relies upon our trade. So it is an important relationship.
But the Australian premier has previously acknowledged the need to remain “clear-eyed” about the differences between the two nations and has aired his view that they are not strategically aligned.
He said on Monday that we need to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest.
Australia will continue to engage in our national interest. And where differences arise, dialogue is essential. pic.twitter.com/NVt1rN1rT5
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 6, 2023
