Australia’s Albanese promises ‘patient, calibrated’ talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday
- Anthony Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years
- China is Australia’s No 1 trade partner but ties have been strained over issues including the source of Covid-19, human rights and the South China Sea
Speaking in Shanghai on Sunday, Albanese declined to offer details on what he would discuss with Xi, but did say he would not hesitate to be direct on contentious issues.
“Australia will cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest,” he said.
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China and Australia hold high-level talks after 3-year break
Albanese arrived in Shanghai on Saturday night, becoming the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years.
China is Australia’s biggest trading partner but ties between the two countries have been strained for several years.
In 2020, the previous Australian government, under a Liberal Party leadership, angered Beijing by calling for a global investigation into the origins of the coronavirus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic. The first major Covid-19 outbreak was reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
In the aftermath, China imposed anti-dumping duties on Australian wine and barley followed by informal restrictions on major exports, such as lobsters and coal.
