Chinese Premier arrives in Australia, second leg of three-nation regional tour

Chinese Premier Li Qiang began a four-day visit to Australia on June 15. During the visit, Premier Li will make a commitment to expand trade amid the two sides' competition for influence in the Pacific, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Premier and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, June 13. (Source: Facebook)

Premier Li Qiang is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Australia since 2017. During the visit, Li is expected to hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese before enjoying a state lunch in Canberra.

Previously, on June 13, Prime Minister Li Qiang paid an official visit to New Zealand. This was the highest-level visit by China to New Zealand in the past 7 years. During this visit, the two sides signed agreements on trade, climate change, etc.

According to Reuters, on the New Zealand side, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is trying to balance concerns about security, human rights... with the trade opportunities that China, the country's largest export partner, brings. In a joint press conference, Prime Minister Luxon said, "Prime Minister Li Qiang and I discussed our important economic relationship, which benefits people in both countries, with two-way trade in goods worth nearly $23.43 billion."

On the Chinese side, after meeting with the New Zealand leader, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said: "We agreed that it is important to expand cooperation in trade and investment. China is willing to join New Zealand's efforts to double its exports in the next decade." Mr. Li added that China will add New Zealand to the list of visa-free countries and hopes that New Zealand will create more favorable conditions for Chinese citizens to travel to New Zealand.

Mr. Lee visited New Zealand amid concerns among some countries in the region about China's growing influence in the South Pacific.

According to Xinhua News Agency, after his visit to Australia, Prime Minister Li Qiang will visit Malaysia until June 20.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-trung-quoc-den-australia-chang-thu-hai-cua-chuyen-cong-du-3-nuoc-khu-vuc-275113.html