Breakthrough as Chinese commerce minister accepts Don Farrell’s winery invitation

Signs China’s punishing trade tariffs on Australian wine will be lifted have been given a boost, as Don Farrell prepares to host his Chinese counterpart at his vineyard.

Signs that China’s punishing trade tariffs on Australian wine will soon be lifted have been given a major boost as Don Farrell prepares to host his Chinese counterpart at his Clare Valley vineyard.

While the Trade Minister did not secure any major concessions during his two-day trip to China, there were several positive signs that Beijing would soon agree to relax many of the trade restrictions imposed on Australian products in 2020.

Senator Farrell confirmed Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao accepted his invitation to visit his “beautiful vineyard in the Clare Valley at a suitable time”, resembling another major diplomatic breakthrough for the two countries.

A Chinese Ministry of Commerce statement declared Australia and China had made “substantial progress” in “properly handling each other’s key economic and trade concerns” and would take bilateral co-operation to “a new level”.

Returning home on Sunday, Senator Farrell celebrated the progress made with Beijing, which could eventually lead to $20bn worth of Chinese sanctions on Australian exports lifted.

Don Farrell at Seven Hill in the Clare Valley.

“My objective was to find a pathway to resolve the outstanding trade impediments and that’s exactly what we did,” he told The Advertiser.

“These trade impediments didn’t occur overnight, and they won’t be resolved overnight.

“These things take time, and it is my job to persistently chip away at them until we see the full resumption of trade.”

China recently agreed to review trade bans on Australian barley in exchange for Canberra suspending its dispute in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Tariffs of up to 218 per cent on Australian wine could be the next to fall in just a matter of weeks, as the WTO prepares to deliver its findings on a separate dispute at the end of June.

Senator Farrell’s trip received resounding approval by Beijing, with Chinese Communist Party controlled media celebrating the “encouraging signs” in the diplomatic thaw.

But it was not without warnings, as Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times reported concerns with US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Australia.

“Canberra needs to understand that actions that harm China’s core interests and provoke China’s red lines could undermine the improvement of bilateral relations,” the Global Times claimed, in reference to the AUKUS security pact.

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