Australian PM Albanese to visit China in November to meet Xi Jinping; deal reached to resolve WTO wine dispute
- China has agreed to suspend a festering World Trade Organization dispute sparked by hefty tariffs on Australian wine
- The trip would be the first to China by an Australian PM since 2016, a sign of improved ties between the countries under Abanese’s government
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that he would travel to China from November 4 to 7 to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, with the aim of ensuring a “stable and productive” relationship between the two countries.
Albanese, who took office in 2022 at the head of government intent on patching up relations with Australia’s biggest trading partner, said he would visit Beijing and Shanghai on the visit, the first by an Australian leader since 2016, and confirmation of a significant step in stabilising ties.
On the visit, the leaders will discuss cooperation in areas such as economic links, climate change and “links between our people”, Albanese said in a statement.
“I look forward to visiting China, an important step towards ensuring a stable and productive relationship,” he said.
“I look forward to further engaging with President Xi and Premier Li in Australia’s national interest.”
Speaking in Canberra, Albanese said Australia late on Saturday had reached a deal with China to move forward to solve its World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute over wine, potentially clearing the way for the resumption of imports.
“We have agreed on the issue of wine for there to be a review of China’s position on wine tariffs to be conducted over the next months,” Albanese told reporters.
“We will suspend our action before the WTO but we’re very confident that this will result in once again Australian wine, a great product, being able to go to China free of the tariffs.
“It is important that we stabilise our relationship with China,” the prime minister said, adding that the wine deal was not “transactional” in return for Australia easing tariffs on some Chinese imports.
Before China imposed the tariffs, it was the most valuable export market for Australian winemakers. In 2019, Australia shipped wine worth around US$800 million to China, its trade data show. Last year, exports were worth US$11 million.
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Australian journalist Cheng Lei in first interview since release from China detention
The move is part of a warming of relations between the two countries that has already seen China lift restrictions on imports of Australian commodities including coal, timber and barley worth billions of dollars.
China announced in November 2020 that it would impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties of up to 218 per cent on most Australian wine, causing trade to collapse. The measures were part of a barrage of trade restrictions that China imposed after Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
Most of the trade restrictions have been lifted since a change of government in Canberra last year. Aside from wine, China maintains barriers on imports of lobsters and meat from some abattoirs.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
