Key Points
- Albanese attended the opening banquet of the China International Import Expo on Saturday night.
- He says he is seeking to set up an open dialogue with the Chinese government.
- Beijing imposed trade bans worth $20 billion on Australian products, but that has since been reduced to $2 billion.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will look to achieve “open and respectful dialogue” to stabilise the relationship with China.
Albanese arrived in Shanghai on Saturday evening AEDT, becoming the first Australian prime minister to visit China – Australia’s largest trading partner – in seven years.
After receiving a red-carpet welcome by China’s top diplomat in Australia Xiao Qian and Australia’s ambassador to China Graham Fletcher, he attended the opening banquet of the China International Import Expo that same evening.
Speaking after the banquet dinner, which was hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the prime minister reaffirmed the importance of ties with China.
“It is in Australia’s interests to have a positive and constructive and open and respectful dialogue with our major trading partner,” he said.
“And that’s what I hope to achieve over the coming days where I’ll be meeting with President Xi, Premier Li and other leaders here in China.”
Albanese will attend the trade show on Sunday, where about 200 Australian companies will be represented.
He will meet with Australian producers at their stalls and will attend a business reception hosted by Tourism Australia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to appeal to Albanese for Australia’s support for his country’s bid to join the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
But the prime minister won’t back Beijing’s application and is expected to reiterate that the bloc has the highest standards for entry, and will need the unanimous support of members to allow new nations in.
China believes its application to join the trans-Pacific trade agreement is crucial to upgrading economic co-operation with Australia.
Beijing imposed trade bans worth $20 billion on Australian products, but that has since been reduced to $2 billion.
China is reviewing its sanctions on Australian wine worth $1.2 billion, with the bans expected to be lifted at the end of a five-month process currently underway.
Bans remain on rock lobster exports and some abattoirs.
Detained Australian writer , pleading that he help bring their father home.
They said in the letter their father’s health had “declined” in Chinese detention.
Yang was arrested in August 2019 on suspicion of espionage and has spent more than four years in a Beijing prison.
In the letter, Yang’s two sons urge Albanese to act and use this “narrow window of opportunity” to help secure their father’s release.
“We request that you do all in your power to save our father’s life and return him immediately to family and freedom in Australia,” they wrote.
“We ask that you make clear that it is not possible to stabilise the bilateral relationship with a government that is holding an Australian citizen just a few kilometres south of where you will be hosted.”
