According to The Guardian , Mr. Albanese flew to Shanghai, China on the evening of November 4. From the airport, he went straight to the city center and attended a banquet hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang before the opening day of the China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Meeting reporters after the event, Mr Albanese said it was in Australia's "national interest" to engage positively, constructively, respectfully and openly with China. "That is what I hope to achieve in the coming days," he said of the three-day official visit.
The leader also noted that China is Australia's largest trading partner and pointed out that one in four Australian jobs “depend on trade”.
Prime Minister Albanese (right) and Premier Li Qiang in Shanghai on November 5.
Mr Albanese's visit to China is the first by an Australian prime minister since 2016. He is scheduled to meet ChinesePresident Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 6 and hold talks with Premier Li Qiang a day later.
The visit is aimed at resetting diplomatic relations between the two countries after a long period of tension, which began when Canberra excluded Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from Australia's 5G network rollout in 2018. The rift deepened and escalated into a trade war after then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Before leaving Australia on November 4, Mr Albanese said his visit to China marked a "very positive step" in efforts to stabilize bilateral relations.
On November 5, Mr Albanese plans to attend a trade fair in Shanghai and meet Australian and Chinese business leaders at an event organised by Tourism Australia, before flying to Beijing that evening.
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