Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Chinese language President Xi Jinping on first go to to Beijing by an Australian chief since 2016.
Chinese language President Xi Jinping has advised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that their international locations may change into “trusting companions” as the 2 leaders moved to recalibrate ties strained for years over points from commerce to human rights and the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the primary journey to Beijing by an Australian chief since 2016, Albanese met Xi on the Nice Corridor of the Individuals on Monday.
The 2 talked for greater than an hour of their second face-to-face talks in a yr.
Xi stated the 2 international locations had “no elementary battle of pursuits” and will “change into mutually trusting and mutually profitable companions”, in response to a readout of the assembly by state broadcaster CCTV.
Areas for cooperation may embrace every little thing from “the peace and stability of the Asia Pacific area” to local weather change, the Chinese language chief added.
Albanese, who has sought to stabilise ties since taking workplace final Might, stated a stronger relationship could be “useful into the longer term” and famous the constructive progress made in latest months after Beijing lifted most of its restrictions on Australian items.
For many years, China and Australia constructed a relationship on commerce, with Beijing changing into Canberra’s largest industrial associate.
However ties soured after Australia, then beneath the conservative authorities of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, accused China of meddling in its politics. A nationwide security-related ban on tech large Huawei and Canberra’s name for a global inquiry into the origin of the COVID pandemic additional undermined the connection.
It’s 50 years since Gough Whitlam turned the primary Australian Prime Minister to go to China.
Since he visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing a lot has modified.
However what’s fixed is that engagement between our two international locations stays essential. pic.twitter.com/NInb093o3J
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 6, 2023
Earlier on Monday, Albanese stopped by Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven and posed for a {photograph} on the round Echo Wall the place Australia’s then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, stood in 1973, a yr after the 2 international locations first established diplomatic ties.
He posted a collection of images on X, saying “fixed engagement” remained “essential”.
“In China, we regularly say that when ingesting water, we must always not neglect those that dug the nicely,” Xi stated. “The Chinese language folks is not going to neglect Prime Minister Whitlam for digging the nicely for us.”
Albanese described Monday’s assembly as “very constructive” and stated he had invited Xi to go to Australia.
“Each of us definitely agreed that we shouldn’t be outlined by our variations, recognise that they’re there, but additionally recognise the mutual profit that we have now,” Albanese stated.
Regional safety
Obstacles stay of their relationship, principally over safety points within the Asia Pacific the place Beijing has change into more and more assertive over its declare to virtually the whole South China Sea.
Australia is a part of the Quad grouping with India, Japan and the US in addition to being part of AUKUS with the US and the UK, beneath which it’s anticipated to profit from the US’s nuclear submarine expertise.
Australia has additionally raised issues over Beijing’s rising affect within the Pacific Islands, whereas Albanese has spoken up on behalf of countries’ proper to self-determination in addition to human rights and sustaining peace — together with within the Taiwan Strait, which separates China from the self-ruled island it regards as a part of its personal territory.
“AUKUS didn’t come up explicitly. We mentioned, although, regional stability,” Albanese stated, with out going into element. “I spoke about guardrails and military-to-military cooperation between the US and China. That’s essential.”
Albanese additionally raised the case of Australian author Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed in Beijing for 4 years on espionage costs. Beijing final month launched Australian journalist Cheng Lei who had been held for 3 years beneath the identical costs.
Forward of the assembly, he had acknowledged the necessity for Australia to stay “clear-eyed” concerning the variations between the 2 international locations.
“We have to cooperate with China the place we will, disagree the place we should, and interact in our nationwide curiosity,” he advised reporters.
Albanese stated he would meet Chinese language Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday earlier than returning to Australia.
