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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a state visit to China, a visit that is seen as a thaw in relations between the two countries, which have been strained in recent years over trade and security issues.
Strengthening economic cooperation
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to “work constructively” with China as the two countries seek to improve their strained relationship. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on November 5, Albanese said economic cooperation between the two countries helps build the relationship. The Australian leader posted a status on social network X (formerly Twitter):
“It is a pleasure to be in Shanghai, marking the first visit to China by an Australian Prime Minister since 2016… I look forward to continuing the dialogue between our two countries in the coming days,” he wrote, along with photos of his visit to Shanghai. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on November 6.
For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Prime Minister Albanese will meet with Chinese leaders and “exchange views seriously on bilateral issues as well as international and regional issues of common concern.”
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell tour the country's pavilion at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai |
Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “China is willing to work with Australia to make this visit an opportunity to help (China and Australia) strengthen communication, promote mutual trust, expand cooperation, deepen friendship and continue to push forward the improvement of bilateral relations.”
Patient approach
Albanese’s trip to China follows a visit to Washington last month. In a speech to top US officials, Albanese said Australia needed to be “clear-headed” about its relationship with China, highlighting the current government’s “patient, measured and cautious” approach.
Prime Minister Albanese previously met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022, while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also visited China and met with his counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing a month later. Relations between the two countries have eased as China considers lifting economic sanctions on wine and accepting imports of Australian coal.
Last month, China also released Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained for more than three years. In response, Australia decided not to revoke a Chinese company’s lease on the northern port of Darwin and is set to lift anti-dumping measures on imports of Chinese wind turbines, a move welcomed by Beijing.
Richard Maude, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the rapid thaw in Australia-China relations represented a surprising reversal from “the very lows of a few years ago,” but would not undermine Australia’s cooperation with the United States. Richard McGregor, a senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute, said the visit was a positive sign, symbolizing that the two sides were on firmer footing.
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