The federal opposition is also calling on Albanese to raise the issue of foreign interference after this masthead revealed that federal police told two prominent Australian critics of the Chinese Communist Party that they were the suspected targets of a foreign interference operation.
The suspected targets, activist Drew Pavlou and journalist Vicky Xu, also urged Albanese to raise the matter with Li during his visit.
Describing Australia as a “beautiful country”, Li said that Australia is “uniquely positioned to connect the West and the East” and is “an important force of economic globalisation and world multi-polarity”.
Protestors and supporters of Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the entrance of Adelaide Zoo.Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald
“A more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership will be a treasure shared by both countries,” he said.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell both faced questions on Sunday on whether Australia’s more conciliatory tone towards China meant compromising on democratic values as China continues its aggressive behaviour in the region.
Farrell said Labor was overturning blocks on Australian exports through acting in a more mature manner than the Coalition did when in government.
“We’ve managed to get all these things without kowtowing to the Chinese government,” he said on Sky News’ Sunday Agenda.
Wong said Peter Dutton’s recent decision to put off decisions on a 2030 emissions reduction target would diminish Australian ties with Pacific nations deeply worried about climate risks.
“We are now in a position where Australia is a partner of choice but the opportunity to be the only partner of choice has been lost by Mr Dutton and his colleagues and we are in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific,” she said on ABC’s Insiders.
“I still get when I move around the Pacific people remembering him joking about climate change by talking about water lapping at the door of Pacific nations. People still remember that.”
“Abandoning climate change means higher prices at home and it means, yet again it means he is abandoning our neighbours in the Pacific.”
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Li began his trip with a visit to Adelaide Zoo on Sunday morning, where he invited South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas to China to select two new pandas to replace the current pair, Wang Wang and Fu Ni, when they return to China this year.
“I’m sure there will be loved and taken care of by the people of Adelaide, South Australia and Australia,” Li said.
The ageing pandas, aged 18 and 17 respectively, have been unable to procreate during their 15 years in the country.
The anti-CCP protesters gathered at the zoo chanted slogans including “Uyghur lives matter”’and “Human lives over profit” as they waved Uyghur, Tibetan and Kong Long flags.
Some protesters waved signs urging Australia not to submit to “panda propaganda”.
“We want Prime Minister Albanese to classify what China is doing to the Uyghurs in East Turkistan as a genocide and crime against humanity,” Adam Turan, the president of the East Turkistan Australian Association, said.
“He should raise human rights and call for him to end the concentration camps.”
Pro-CCP protester Mike Wang said he and his family had come to show support for the Chinese Premier and to support improved trade ties between the two nations.
“The Australian economy is not going so well, so more trade opportunities are important,” he said.
Li will later visit Adelaide winemakers with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell to celebrate the return of Australian wine to the Chinese market after the removal of crippling tariffs introduced by China in 2020.
Li will then travel to Canberra to meet with Albanese on Monday and to Perth on Tuesday to visit a lithium processing plant and to meet with business leaders.
The government is confident that restrictions on Chinese seafood exports to China will soon be lifted, but is not sure when an official announcement will be made.