According to The Guardian , Mr. Albanese flew to Shanghai, China, on the evening of November 4th. From the airport, he went straight to the city center and attended a party hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang ahead of the opening of the China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Speaking to reporters accompanying the delegation after the event, Mr. Albanese said that engaging in positive, constructive, respectful, and open dialogue with China serves Australia's "national interests." "That's 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 jobs in Australia is "trade-dependent".
Prime Minister Albanese (right) and Prime Minister 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 with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 6th and hold talks with Premier Li Qiang the following day.
The visit aimed to restart diplomatic relations between the two countries after a long period of tension, which began when Canberra excluded Chinese telecommunications technology giant Huawei from Australia's 5G network deployment project in 2018. The rift deepened and escalated into a trade war after then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Before leaving Australia on November 4th, Mr. Albanese stated that his visit to China marked a "very positive step" in efforts to stabilize bilateral relations.
On November 5th, Mr. Albanese planned to attend a trade fair in Shanghai and meet with Australian and Chinese business leaders at an event organized by Tourism Australia, before flying to Beijing that evening.
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