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BEIJING (AP) — Australia’s Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell appears to be making progress in restoring a nearly decade-long rift in relations with China during a visit to Beijing.
China blocked such exports in retaliation to moves targeting Beijing’s alleged interference in Australian elections and political life and social organizations in the large Australian-Chinese community.
While trade ties seem to be improving, the sides remain far apart on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.
On his arrival Thursday, Farrell said he hoped his visit would “continue that process of stabilizing our relationship and work through a successful pathway for the resolution of all of our outstanding trade differences.”
“The issues didn’t occur overnight and they’re not going to be resolved overnight,” Farrell said.
In April, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said bilateral relations were unlikely to return to the level of the early 2000s, when trade was separated from political and strategic priorities.
Since then, Australia has expanded security cooperation with the United States, China’s main rival for influence in the Asia-Pacific.
Beijing has strongly criticized Australia’s participation in the so-called AUKUS partnership, which links it with the United States and Britain to create an Australian fleet of eight submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology, largely in response to China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea, the South Pacific and the East China Sea.
Albanese will host U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of India and Japan — countries with which China has active land and sea border disputes — for a May 24 summit of leaders of the so-called Quad nations.