He and Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the slow improvement in relations over the past year and, under pressure, the importance of debate despite differences over issues such as defense.
Notably, China, a major market position for Australia, has lifted some industrial restrictions on Australian goods since the two leaders first met in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022. “The progress we’ve made in advancing our dating in this era has certainly been very significant. “”Positive,” Albanese said in his opening address to Xi to the media. “Trade is positioning itself more freely, which benefits both countries. “
Xi said the two sides have resumed exchanges of perspectives and resolved some issues.
“China and Australia are on the right track to upgrading and development,” he said. “I’m glad to see that. ” Albanese said he would meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday before returning to Australia.
Relations have deteriorated in recent years as suspicions of Chinese interference in Australian politics have grown. China, in turn, has been angered by Australia’s call for an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 virus. China has imposed unofficial price lists and industrial barriers. who have allegedly charged Australian exporters up to A$20 billion ($13 billion) a year for products such as coal, wine, beef, barley and lobsters.
Since then, these barriers have been lowered and now charge around A$2 billion ($1. 3 billion).
China has indicated that it is preparing to lift punitive price lists for Australian wine, which has severely penalized the industry. “We even had a little discussion about the wine and its quality,” Albanese told reporters.
He said Xi told the gathering that he had been to New Zealand and had been told how smart the wines were there. “I affirmed Australia’s pre-eminence when it comes to quality red wine,” Mr Albanese said.
Xi also talked about his visits to Australia and described the Tasmanian devils as cute, the Australian leader said. When Albanese said that they weren’t as cute as pandas, Xi replied that not all pandas were cute, mentioning the movie Kung Fu Panda.
“It shows how warm the exchange was,” Albanese said.
When asked through a reporter, Albanese showed that he had raised the case of Yang Hengjun, an Australian democracy blogger who has been detained in China for about five years, but elaborated on Xi’s response.
Last month, China released Australian journalist Cheng Lei after three years in detention on espionage charges, a case that has a hot flashpoint.
Although Albanese was at times positive about his visit, Australia is actively pursuing a security partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States, which China sees as an attempt to counter its influence in the region.
The Australian leader, in his opening remarks to Xi, stressed the importance of high-level discussions and people-to-people ties. “When discrepancies arise, it’s vital that we communicate,” Albanese said.
Before coming to Beijing, Albanese was invited on Sunday to the opening rite of an annual import expo in Shanghai, which Chinese Premier Li Qiang promised to further facilitate market access. Albanese’s stopover comes on the 50th anniversary of an Australian prime minister’s first holiday in the People’s Republic of China.
“This time, this is very significant as it builds on the afterlife and paves the way for the future,” Xi told Albanese.
Albanese referred to former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1973 in a post on X, formerly Twitter, which included photographs of the current leader and his entourage at the historic site of the Temple of Heaven.
“Since visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, many things have changed,” Albanese wrote. “But the thing is, the engagement between our two countries is still important.
(With agency input)
Also read: Australia’s Albanese and Xi expected to be involved in ‘historic’ scale of ‘fierce negotiations’ in China
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