Australia PM Albanese says China visit 'a positive step' for bilateral ties

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that his visit to China is a positive step to improve the relationship between the two countries.

Albanese will be the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016. This visit aims to mend the strained ties that resulted from disagreements about Huawei, espionage, and COVID-19.

“The fact that is it is the first visit in seven years to our major trading partner is a very positive step, and I look forward to constructive discussions and dialogue with President Xi and the Premier Li during my visit,” Albanese said in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, reported Reuters.

He added, “It is a result of the patient, calibrated and deliberate approach that we have to the relationship with China.”

Since taking office last year, Albanese’s government has played a role in improving relations with China. China has removed most of the trade restrictions imposed during a 2020 dispute that cost A$20 billion in commodity and food exports.

Albanese will attend China’s top imports fair in Shanghai, to be opened by Premier Li on Sunday. He will meet with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday and discuss rising tensions in the South China Sea.

He also plans to raise the case of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who is imprisoned in Beijing on espionage charges.

With inputs from agencies