China’s second-in-command has touched down in Australia marking another “significant step” in the stabilisation of relations between the two countries.
Li Qiang’s arrival into Adelaide on Saturday afternoon marked the first visit by a Chinese Premier to Australia since 2017 after an intense period of Beijing-Canberra tensions.
He was greeted on the tarmac by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas after stepping off an Air China flight from New Zealand.
The Chinese Premier is expected to visit the Adelaide Zoo on Sunday to make an announcement about pandas at the facility.
He is also tipped to head to a winery, just months after China finally lifted hefty tariffs on Australian wine which were imposed in 2020 when relations hit rock-bottom.
Following the Adelaide visit, the Chinese Premier will meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, and also stop by Perth, before departing on Tuesday.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters on Saturday morning the government welcomed Mr Li’s trip as it was a “really important visit”.
“This is a significant step in the relationship and it’s a significant set of meetings for Australia and for China,” Mr Chalmers said.
“We believe that engagement is good for our people, it’s good for our economy and it’s good for our country more broadly and that’s what this visit is all about.
“We’ve made really encouraging progress stabilising the relationship with China but in a way which is consistent with our values and our interests.
“We are very pleased to have been able to stabilise this relationship and to see billions of dollars of trade restrictions eased as a consequence of this effort.”
Earlier in the week, Mr Albanese said in his meeting he would reiterate concerns about incidents involving Chinese military as well as the lobster trade impediments.
“I certainly would like to see that any impediments to our lobsters and crayfish, our magnificent seafood, being removed,” the Prime Minister said on Tuesday.
“Australia has an interest in trade with China. China has an interest in receiving our magnificent goods because of their quality.
“We will continue to put forward our arguments there, as we will continue to pursue Australia’s interests, including Yang Hengjun.”
Mr Yang, an Australian writer, was handed a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court earlier this year after being accused of spying when arrested five years ago.