China relations with Australia back ‘on right track’
‘We won’t always agree, and the points in which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence’
Daily Tribune‘We won’t always agree, and the points in which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence’
China’s Premier Li Qiang (second from right) and Australia’s Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (second from left) hold a meeting in Canberra. One of the most pressing issues in Australia’s eyes is the plight of jailed dissident writer Yang Hengjun.
Agence France-Presse
Canberra, Australia — China hailed mended ties with Australia on Monday, saying relations were “on the right track” as the trading partners moved on from a bitter economic dispute despite a duel for influence in the Pacific.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived to a grand ceremonial welcome at Parliament House in Canberra, before talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The highest-ranking Chinese official to visit since 2017, Li said his trip to Australia demonstrated “that this relationship is on the right track of steady improvement and development.”
Li offered an olive branch, granting Australian citizens limited visa-free access to China, a gesture limited to a relatively small number of nations in Beijing’s good books.
Australia, meanwhile, said the two countries had agreed to improve “military-to-military” communication, lowering the temperature after recent brushes in international waters.
Despite the goodwill on show, both sides acknowledged lingering “differences” — a nod to diplomatic jostling in the Pacific and China’s ongoing detention of a dissident writer.
“We won’t always agree, and the points in which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence,” Albanese said.
Police beefed up security in a bid to head off trouble as Li arrived, standing in the middle of chanting human rights protesters and banner-waving pro-China groups.
A brass band played as Li inspected a military honor guard on the forecourt of Parliament House, the 19-gun artillery salute only briefly drowning out the noisy crowds gathered on the manicured lawns.
One of the most pressing issues in Australia’s eyes is the plight of jailed dissident writer Yang Hengjun.
A dual Chinese-Australian citizen, Yang was handed a suspended death sentence in February after a Beijing court found him guilty on espionage charges seen by many as politically motivated.
Yang’s supporters penned a public letter on the eve of Li’s arrival in Canberra, urging Albanese to push for his immediate release to Australia.
“We in Australia oppose capital punishment and I reiterated our position there,” Albanese said after meeting with Li.
Albanese also said Canberra and Beijing had agreed to improve “military-to-military communication” to avoid future incidents at sea.
Last month, Australia accused China of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct after one of its warplanes allegedly fired flares in the path of a naval helicopter over the Yellow Sea.
And late last year, Australia said a Chinese destroyer blasted navy divers with dangerous sonar pulses.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Canberra has become increasingly vocal in its criticisms of China’s efforts to build influence with island nations, another issue that Albanese said he had raised with Li.
“I did raise the issue of ensuring that foreign interference wasn’t acceptable,” he added.
Chinese officials were accused of employing heavy-handed tactics in a bid to ensure Li’s rare trip to Canberra ran smoothly.
