(Bloomberg) — Bettering relations between China and Australia ought to obtain a lift with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s scheduled go to to Beijing this 12 months, Ambassador Xiao Qian mentioned on Wednesday.
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China’s envoy to Australia mentioned that the widespread floor between the 2 international locations is bigger than their variations and supplies a background for restoring relations to regular. “We wish to transcend stability and proceed to enhance our relationship,” Xiao mentioned at an Asian Society occasion in Melbourne.
Relations between Australia and China reached their lowest level in 2020, after then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison known as for a world investigation into the origins of Covid-19 – a politically delicate concern for Beijing. In response, the Chinese language authorities imposed commerce sanctions on a variety of Australian exports, together with heavy tariffs on wine and barley.
Following the election of Albania’s centre-left Labor authorities in Could 2022, Australia and China have seen a major enchancment of their diplomatic relations. Excessive-level ministerial conferences between the 2 international locations resumed, whereas a variety of sanctions imposed on Australian exports had been lifted.
Albanese is predicted to go to Beijing earlier than the top of 2023, a visit scheduled to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of an Australian chief’s first go to to China in 1973.
In response to a query about rising considerations in regards to the state of the Chinese language economic system, Xiao mentioned that the deteriorating information in latest months had been solely momentary and that the nation’s general development trajectory was constructive.
“Australia should have confidence within the Chinese language economic system, and should have confidence within the commerce relations and financial relations between the 2 international locations,” he mentioned.
–With help from Zoe Ma.
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