Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit Australia as Canberra continues push to lift trade barriers
- China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Australian counterpart Penny Wong that tariffs on wine were currently under review when they met on Wednesday
- Wong said she was pushing for more trade curbs to be lifted, but warned ‘important differences’ on issues such as Taiwan and human rights still exist
Wang Yi, who is also China’s foreign policy chief, met his counterpart Penny Wong in the Australian capital on Wednesday as relations start to thaw following a series of disputes over trade and human rights.
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“We should build on the good momentum of bilateral relations so far … to jointly build a more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership,” Wang said.
“Since China-Australia relations are on the right track, we must not hesitate, deviate or turn back … This is in the common interest of the two peoples.”
He last visited in 2017, and relations have since deteriorated over Canberra’s decision to ban Huawei from its 5G network and push for a World Health Organization inquiry into the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response, China, Australia’s biggest trade partner, imposed punitive tariffs or outright bans on a wide range of Australian products, including barley, wine, beef and lobsters in 2020.