The visit thawed relations between Australia and China.

SGGP 06/11/2023 07:33

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a state visit to China. This visit is seen as marking a "thaw" in relations between the two countries, which have become increasingly strained in recent years over trade and security issues.

Strengthening economic cooperation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared he would “cooperate 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 5th, Prime Minister Albanese stated that economic cooperation between the two nations helps build the relationship. The Australian leader posted this message on social media platform 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 dialogues between our two countries in the coming days,” he wrote, accompanied by photos of his visit to Shanghai. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on November 6-11.

For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the Albanese Prime Minister would meet with Chinese leaders and “seriously exchange views on bilateral issues as well as international and regional issues of common concern.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell visit the Australian booth at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated: “China is ready to cooperate with Australia to make this visit an opportunity to enhance communication, promote mutual trust, expand cooperation, deepen friendship, and further advance the improvement of bilateral relations.”

A patient approach

Prime Minister Albanese's trip to China follows his visit to Washington last month. In a speech to top US officials, Albanese said that Australia needed to be "wise" about its relationship with China, while highlighting the current government's "patient, considered, and cautious" approach.

Prime Minister Albanese had previously met with 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 her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing a month later. Relations between the two countries eased tensions when China considered 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 lease agreement for the North Darwin port held by a Chinese company and prepared 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 thawing of Australia-China relations represents a surprising reversal from the “very lows of a few years ago,” but will not undermine Australia’s cooperation with the U.S. Richard McGregor, a senior East Asia expert at the Lowy Institute, said the visit was a positive sign, symbolizing a stronger foundation for both sides.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chuyen-tham-lam-tan-bang-quan-he-australia-trung-quoc-post712903.html