Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Australia on Saturday, marking the first visit by a Chinese premier to the country in seven years. Li's arrival signals an improvement in relations between China and Australia, with the Prime Minister declaring that relations are “back on track”.
In his speech at Adelaide Airport, Lee stressed Australia's unique position as a bridge between the West and the East and stressed Australia's role in economic globalization and multipolarity in the world. Li said that bilateral relations, which have faced some difficulties, are now on a more stable path.
Australia, the largest supplier of iron ore to China, has seen significant Chinese investment in its mining projects. However, Australia has blocked some Chinese investments in critical minerals on national security grounds. In 2020, China imposed trade restrictions on Australian agricultural and mineral products during a diplomatic dispute, which has since been largely resolved.
During his four-day stay, Prime Minister Lee will visit Adelaide, Canberra and Western Australia. He wants to promote a more mature and stable comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. On Sunday, he will visit some pandas at Adelaide Zoo and meet wine exporters, signaling a smoother trade relationship after the suspension of about $13 billion in Australian agricultural and mineral exports to China last year.
Before arriving in Australia, Lee visited New Zealand, where he signed agreements on trade and climate change and discussed human rights and foreign interference. His visit to Australia aims to address ongoing trade and consular issues, including the removal of trade barriers and the release of imprisoned Australian democracy blogger Yang Hengjun.
China is the most important trading partner for Australia and New Zealand, as they must balance trade benefits with regional security concerns about China's growing influence in the Pacific Islands. The visit emphasizes the importance of economic cooperation and dialogue on security issues and is an important step in stabilizing relations between China and Australia.
Reuters contributed to this article.
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