The head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi will visit Australia next week, the two countries announced on Thursday, at a time when a lifting of punitive customs duties on Australian wines is looming.
This first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to Australia since 2017 comes in a context of easing trade relations between Beijing and Canberra.
“I think Wang Yi's visit is a good thing
,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Thursday, referring to
“significant progress”
in lifting trade barriers.
The Chinese minister is due to meet on March 20 with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong as part of a
“strategic dialogue”
.
“We seek to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest
,” Penny Wong said in a statement.
“Australia believes that a stable bilateral relationship would enable both countries to pursue their respective national interests, provided our differences are judiciously managed
. ”
Many disagreements persist
Relations between Beijing and Canberra have experienced several years of coldness.
In 2018, the Australian government excluded the Chinese group Huawei from any participation in the country's 5G network, then requested in 2020 an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19.
In retaliation, China imposed high tariffs on key Australian exports such as barley, beef and wine and stopped imports of coal.
Relations improved after the 2022 election of a center-left government in Australia but deep disagreements persist over human rights and China's growing diplomatic and military influence in the Pacific.
Beijing lifted prohibitive customs duties on barley as well as the ban on imports of wood and resumed its coal purchases.
This week, Australia's leading wine group, Treasury Wine Estates, claimed to have been informed by the authorities of the two countries of a
"provisional draft decision"
from Beijing concerning a removal of punitive customs duties put in place in 2020 and that A decision is expected
“in the coming weeks”
.
During his visit to Beijing in November 2023, Anthony Albanese welcomed the improvement in relations between the two countries even if many disagreements persist, notably regarding the Australian writer of Chinese origin Yang Jun sentenced to suspended death in February by a Beijing court.