Australia’s Albanese has ‘positive’ chat with China’s Li ahead of G20 summit
- The brief discussion came amid speculation about a possible meeting between the Australian PM and Chinese President Xi Jinping at G20 on Monday
- Ties have deteriorated in recent years as China put sanctions on some Australian imports and reacted angrily to call for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke briefly with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at a regional summit in Cambodia on Sunday, amid anticipation of a formal summit with President Xi Jinping.
The countries’ ties have deteriorated in recent years, with China putting sanctions on some Australian imports and reacting angrily to Canberra’s call for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
Albanese and Li spoke on arrival at an event held on the sidelines of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
“I say it was constructive, it was positive,” Albanese told a news conference later. “I think it’s a good thing it happened. I have said repeatedly about the relationship with China that we should cooperate where we can.
“And that dialogue is always a good thing.”
The short discussion came amid speculation about a possible meeting between Albanese and Xi at a summit of the Group of 20 big economies in Indonesia on Monday.