2023-11-04 10:45:18
This weekend Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched his “reconciliation tour” in China. For the first time since 2016, an Australian head of government is visiting the People’s Republic. The program includes, among other things, meetings with China’s head of state Xi Jinping and talks with Prime Minister Li Qiang.
The two countries have been trying for months to find a way out of the diplomatic crisis. Since 2020, Beijing has imposed dozens of trade restrictions on Australian exports. The Chinese government blamed Australia for the trade problems and accused the government in Canberra of “violating the basic norms of international relations.”
Bilateral relations were strained in 2018 when Australia became the first country to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G mobile network. Relations deteriorated once more in 2020 when then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus.
Archyde.com/Greg Baker China’s head of state Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang want to stabilize the relationship with Australia
Concern regarding a collapse in trade
“The fact that this is the first visit to our most important trading partner in seven years is a very positive step, and I look forward to constructive discussions with President Xi and Prime Minister Li during my visit,” Albanese said on Saturday. “It is the result of our patient, calibrated and deliberate approach to relations with China.”
Since taking office last year, Albanese’s government has boasted of having “stabilized” relations with China. China had already lifted most trade blockades before the visit was announced. A breakthrough was recently achieved in the dispute over Chinese import tariffs on wine. Albanese announced that he would revitalize the free trade agreement between China and Australia.
The three-day visit is primarily regarding the economy. Just as Canberra is concerned that exports to China will collapse, Beijing is concerned regarding a lack of Chinese investment in Australia. China is Australia’s largest export market, particularly for iron ore, natural gas and critical minerals such as lithium.
picturedesk.com/Zhan min Australian blogger Yang Hengjun has been in Chinese custody since 2019
Economic talks overshadowed by imprisonment
But the visit to China also has the potential for hardened fronts. Albanese wants to protest once morest the lack of transparency in China’s handling of the imprisoned Australian blogger Yang Hengjun. The native Chinese, who has had Australian citizenship since 2002, traveled from New York to China in 2019 and disappeared following his arrival. It was only later announced that he had been arrested.
Yang is known as a blogger in China. He regularly commented on Chinese politics and was sometimes critical of the Communist Party. The Foreign Ministry in Canberra asked the government in Beijing in 2019 to provide the exact reasons for the detention. A few days ago, his family called for Yang’s release because he might die in custody.
“I will say that Yang’s case needs to be resolved and I will talk regarding his rights in detention, the nature of detention and the failure of transparent processes,” Albanese announced on Saturday. A few weeks ago, Australian journalist Cheng Lei was released following three years in prison. The prosecution accused her of passing on state secrets abroad. What exactly it was regarding remained unclear until the end.
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