China’s second-most highly effective chief has introduced that the “twists and turns” in Australia-China relations are over – and invited Australian officers to select a brand new pair of pandas for Adelaide’s zoo.
However Penny Wong selected to spotlight the tensions that stay within the relationship earlier than a collection of talks with Premier Li Qiang, who arrived in Australia on Saturday night and was met by protesters exterior the zoo on Sunday.
Li Qiang’s arrival marks the primary time a Chinese language premier has visited Australia since Li Keqiang accepted Malcolm Turnbull’s invitation in 2017.
Li is in Australia for the annual leaders assembly, which each side see as central to stabilising relations between the nations.
Australia’s overseas affairs minister welcomed Li’s go to, which Wong mentioned was the results of “two years of very deliberate, very patient work” by the Albanese authorities to “bring about a stabilisation of the relationship” with Australia’s largest commerce accomplice. She acknowledged that tensions remained.
However Wong additionally famous that Australia was in a “permanent contest” with China over the Pacific, a state she blamed the previous Coalition authorities for.
“That is the reality,” she informed the ABC. “I wish there was a rewind button to recover the last 10 years but we don’t, we have to deal with what we have now which is a permanent contest in Pacific.”
Wong and a delegation of senior Albanese ministers will go away for Papua New Guinea on the conclusion of Li’s go to.
When Li arrived at Adelaide airport on Saturday night he mentioned Australia was “uniquely positioned to connect the west and the east” and added that bilateral relations between the 2 international locations have been “back on track after a period of twists and turns”.
“A more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership will be a treasure shared by the people of both countries,” Li mentioned.
Whereas Wong was to spend Sunday engaged in panda and commerce diplomacy with Li, as he visited Australia’s solely big pandas, Wang Wang and Fu Ni at Adelaide zoo, adopted by lunch at a South Australian vineyard, she mentioned Australia remained targeted on areas of disagreement.
That features China’s perspective to Taiwan, which Wong known as one “of the riskiest flashpoints in the world”.
“We support the maintenance of the status quo, that the status quo is the best path for us to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and in the world,” Wong mentioned.
“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo. In terms of the military activities and in and around the Taiwan Strait, you’ve heard me and others speak very clearly about this. We are deeply concerned about the increased activities and the risk of miscalculation, the risk of mistake. And that is a view we’ve put publicly and we have put directly to China.”
Wong mentioned Australia additionally continued to advocate for the Australian tutorial Yang Hengjun, who has been given a suspended dying sentence by a Chinese language courtroom, and for China to make use of its “special responsibility” and “great power” as a everlasting member of the UN safety council to exert its affect to finish the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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“We have expressed concerns similar to those expressed by the G7 about potential activities of Chinese firms and we will continue to express to China our views about the importance of the war ending and Ukraine being able to secure peace on its own terms,” Wong mentioned.
Anthony Albanese will meet Li in Canberra on Monday, the place the pair will talk about among the hangover commerce embargo points, in addition to the area’s safety. Li can even maintain a aspect assembly with the opposition chief, Peter Dutton, earlier than travelling to Western Australia for conferences with enterprise leaders and Chinese language-Australian group members.
Australia’s enlargement of its essential minerals trade is anticipated to be among the many agenda gadgets throughout Li’s assembly with Albanese. Beneath the Albanese authorities, stricter overseas funding oversight protocols have been put in place, and there have been questions over whether or not Chinese language funding within the essential mineral sector in Australia can be welcomed.
Wong mentioned Australia “welcomed foreign investment, in accordance with the national interest”.
“It is clear which sectors we would take particular interest in as we consider foreign investment applications [and] critical minerals is one of those sectors,” Wong mentioned.
At an occasion at Adelaide zoo on Sunday, Li introduced the present pandas housed there would return to China, and a brand new pair can be despatched of their stead.
“Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been a way from home for more than 15 years, I guess they must have missed their home a lot,” Li mentioned. “So they will return to China before the end of the year.
“But what I want to tell you is that we will provide a new pair of uniquely beautiful, lovely and adorable [pandas] to the Adelaide zoo.”
