Premier Li Qiang is the highest-ranking Chinese leader to visit Australia since 2017.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Australia’s Parliament in Canberra for high-level talks that both sides described as candid.
The four-day visit by Premier Li Keqiang, the first by a Chinese premier in seven years, comes after Beijing removed all tariffs on key Australian exports including wine, coal and barley.
Ahead of Monday’s event, Albanese’s office said the prime minister would stress the importance of “ongoing dialogue” and “consistent and steady engagement”.
But he would also acknowledge the differences between the two countries.
“We do not always agree, and differences do not simply disappear through silence,” Albanese is expected to say, an apparent reference to comments by Li on Sunday suggesting they “set aside differences” to improve relations.
After the meeting, the two men described their private discussions as “frank” and Li announced that Australia would join China’s visa waiver program.
“We have differences… that’s why an open dialogue is so important,” Mr Albanese said. “Australia has consistently advocated for the importance of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region and world, where nations respect the sovereignty of others and abide by international law.”
“We had a frank, detailed and fruitful meeting and reached many agreements,” Li said.
Outside the parliament building, human rights activists chanted slogans in support of Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong and waved flags and placards.
There was a heavy police presence and barricades were set up to separate the police from the flag-waving pro-China groups.
Reporters on the ground reported that the atmosphere was tense and there were some skirmishes.
A military guard of honor parade in front of Parliament House was held, greeted by a brass band and a 19-gun salute took just a moment to drown out the rowdy crowd. A state lunch for more than 300 guests featured Australian beef and wines from the Canberra region, according to public broadcaster ABC.
Imprisoned writer
Lim, who arrived on Sunday, used his visit to highlight trade, friendly ties and China’s affection for Australian products.
But Mr Albanese promised the private talks would discuss tougher issues such as geopolitical tensions and “national interests”, including the plight of jailed dissident writer Yang Hengjun.
The China-born Australian author was convicted of espionage in February and given a suspended death sentence, a sentence that Yang’s supporters said on Sunday had been upheld by a Beijing court ahead of Li’s visit.
“It is impossible to have a stable and respectful bilateral relationship with China while Chinese authorities continue to threaten to execute Australian political prisoners,” they said in a statement, and urged Albanese to ask Premier Li to allow Yang to be transferred to Australia for medical reasons.
Australia has also criticised Chinese military “unacceptable” and “dangerous” behaviour in international airspace and waters in recent months, and called for restraint in the disputed South China Sea, over which Beijing claims almost all of the territory.
Australia is also a member of the Quad security grouping with India, Japan and the United States, as well as the AUKUS agreement with the UK and the US.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a radio interview on Monday that such partnerships were aimed at “ensuring a safer and more stable region,” but stressed the need for continued engagement with China, which has portrayed the pact as an attempt to contain it.
University of Sydney researcher Ming-luo Chen said Australia would be careful to temper public criticism of its largest trading partner.
“I don’t know if all the security issues will disappear overnight,” she told AFP, “but I think this visit has symbolic meaning. It’s a good gesture and shows the outside world that China is still open to foreigners.”
Arriving on Sunday and enjoying lunch at a historic vineyard in South Australia, a state hard hit by the trade embargo, Lee said relations between the two countries were “back on track”.
He also announced that two new pandas would be sent to Adelaide Zoo to replace the two that are due to return to China by the end of the year.
China buys a third of Australia’s exports and supplies a quarter of Australia’s imports.
Trade between Australia and China reached A$327 billion ($215.95 billion) last year as Beijing’s trade restrictions were eased.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated over Australia’s law banning covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from Australia’s national 5G network over security concerns, and Australia’s call for an independent inquiry into the causes and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
