Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese landed in China on Saturday for a historic state visit, signaling a noticeable warming of relations between the two nations.
China stands as Australia’s largest trading partner, but the relationship took a nosedive in 2020 when Australia’s conservative government excluded the Chinese tech giant Huawei from 5G contracts and called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, angering Beijing. In response, Beijing imposed punitive tariffs on various Australian commodities, severely affecting the bilateral trade relationship.
Albanese, who assumed office in May of the previous year, has been committed to mending the ties, marking this visit as the first by an Australian leader in seven years. During his four-day stay in China, he will split his time between Beijing and Shanghai, where he is expected to attend the opening ceremony of a significant trade fair.
Albanese has expressed his intentions to improve relations with China while acknowledging the differences between the two nations. His government aims to strike a balance between fostering more amicable diplomatic and business connections while also addressing China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are two nations with very different histories, values, and political systems,” Albanese remarked during a recent visit to the United States, emphasizing the importance of being “clear-eyed” about these differences.
On the other hand, China has adopted a more conciliatory tone towards Australia recently, with its foreign ministry welcoming the visit as “an opportunity to strengthen communication, increase mutual trust, broaden cooperation, deepen friendship, and push for the continued improvement of bilateral relations.”
Under Albanese’s leadership, China has lifted tariffs on Australian commodities and indicated its intention to remove similar penalties on Australian wine. Furthermore, last month saw the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained for three years on espionage charges in China.
However, several contentious issues remain unresolved. China has expressed concern about Australia’s security pact with the United States and Britain, as well as its decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, which is seen as a move to counter China’s military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Albanese has emphasized the importance of defending each nation’s right to choose its own destiny, uphold human rights, and maintain peace in areas like the Taiwan Strait.
Albanese’s visit to China has been characterized as a “journey of hope,” but there are questions about Australia’s ability to maintain an independent foreign policy, especially in matters of international diplomacy vis-Ã -vis its relationship with the United States and China.
