Ten years to the day after CCP Leader Xi Jinping visited Australia signing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 in Brazil.
Xi said he believed the bilateral relationship had “turned around” over that period.
The two met overnight at Xi’s hotel in Rio de Janeiro, their third formal encounter since Albanese took office.
The meeting also came a year after Albanese travelled to Beijing to end a lengthy dispute that had blocked billions of dollars worth of Australian exports to its largest trading partner.
In 2020, Beijing began a trade war against Australian exporters after the former Morrison government called for a global investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
“Ten years ago today, I was on a state visit in Australia,” Xi said in his opening remarks. “And on this very day, during which our two sides agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“And over the past decade, we have made some progress in China-Australia relations and also witnessed some twists and turns. That trajectory has many inspirations to offer.”
Xi also said relations continued to grow and that both sides should maintain it with “great care.”
Dialogue Remains Critical, Albanese Says
In a post on social media, Albanese reflected a similar sentiment after the meeting concluded.“Stabilising Australia’s relationship with China is in the interests of both our countries,” the prime minister wrote.
“Dialogue is critical, and we’ve made encouraging progress. Trade is flowing more freely. And that brings benefits to both countries, and to people and businesses on both sides.
“Our approach will remain patient, calibrated and deliberate. It is important that we have direct discussions on the issues that matter to us, and to the stability and prosperity of our region.”
He added that the two countries would explore opportunities to cooperate on climate change.
It is unknown whether the two men discussed the impending imposition of tariffs by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump—which, in Beijing’s case, could be as high as 60 percent—but on the weekend, Albanese said he would not involve Australia in a trade dispute with China.
It is not confirmed whether Albanese raised Australia’s concerns about Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea and its interference in the affairs of small Pacific Island nations, but at another event, Xi warned that the world is entering “a new period of turbulence and transformation.”
Xi missed the last G20 in India, so there was no shortage of Western leaders keen to meet with him.
He also held bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He is due to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Argentinian President Javier Milei, who once described Beijing as an “assassin.”
