On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will greet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing, marking a turning point in the two countries’ relationship after years of hostilities that resulted in billions of dollars’ worth of trade losses.
Canberra’s largest trading partner, Beijing, saw a sharp decline in ties in 2020 when the country’s conservative government forbade Chinese tech firm Huawei from receiving contracts for 5G networks and demanded an inquiry into the cause of Covid-19.
Following that, a vengeful Beijing imposed harsh taxes on a wide range of Australian goods, including coal, barley, and wine, sending the relationship into a deep freeze.
However, since Albanese came to power in May of last year, China has changed its position, stating that it wants “healthy and stable” ties and eliminating the majority of its restrictions on Australian commodities.
Ahead of the talks in Beijing on Monday, Albanese — the first Australian leader to visit China in more than seven years — said he saw “promising signs” that relations were improving and predicted a “constructive discussion” with Xi.
“We’ve already seen a number of the impediments to trade between our two nations removed,” he said.
“China is our most important trading partner,” he added.
“It represents more than 25 percent of our exports, and one in four of our jobs relies upon our trade. So it’s an important relationship.”
But the Australian prime minister has previously acknowledged the need to remain “clear-eyed” about the differences between the two countries, and has aired his view that they are not strategically aligned.
“We need to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest,” he said Monday.
Australia’s security alliance with the US and UK has infuriated Beijing, which has also criticized the country for its intention to buy nuclear-powered submarines, which is largely perceived as an attempt to counter China’s military dominance in the Asia-Pacific region.
For his part, Albanese has advocated for the right of states to self-determination, human rights, and peacekeeping, particularly across the Taiwan Strait, which divides China from the autonomous island it considers to be a part of its own territory.
