China and Australia reduce tensions and enhance the vitality of their relationship

At talks in Canberra, China and Australia agreed to effectively manage differences to enhance the "vitality and resilience" of their bilateral relationship. The two leaders signed five cooperation documents covering trade, economic dialogue, education, climate, and cultural exchange, according to the South China Morning Post .

Chinese Premier Li Qiang (right) shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Australia, on June 17, 2024.

Following the meeting, Mr. Li stated that both sides committed to making good use of various dialogue mechanisms to address economic and trade concerns, while creating a "fair, open, and non-discriminatory" business environment for companies. Furthermore, China will leverage its respective strengths to expand cooperation in the fields of energy, mining, new energy vehicles, green development, and the digital economy.

Mr. Li also stated that the two countries will expand cooperation in the energy and mining sectors, and that China will include Australia in its visa-free program. Under the new agreement, Australian citizens entering China will not need a visa if their stay is less than 15 days. Furthermore, Mr. Li pledged to send a pair of pandas to the Adelaide Zoo (Australia) to serve as a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries.

For his part, Prime Minister Albanese praised the bilateral relationship for being back on track following talks with Mr. Li. "The Australia-China relationship is renewed and revitalized. Today, we agreed on a series of memoranda of cooperation and agreements that will further promote practical cooperation between the two countries, as the relationship continues its steady momentum," said Mr. Albanese.

He asserted that the Australian and Chinese economies are complementary, with both countries sharing common interests in addressing climate change. Trade between Australia and China reached US$216 billion in 2023 as trade barriers from Beijing were eased, according to Reuters.

Beyond economic matters, according to the joint statement following the meeting, China and Australia agreed to launch a bilateral dialogue mechanism on maritime issues and continue talks between the two countries ' defense ministries to avoid incidents.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-uc-ha-cang-thang-nang-suc-song-ben-quan-he-185240617203128727.htm