Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit Adelaide on Australia trip this month

Good news about the future of Adelaide’s giant panda program is expected to be announced by the Chinese premier during a visit to Adelaide this month.

Good news about the future of Adelaide’s giant panda program is expected to be announced by the Chinese premier during a visit to Adelaide this month.

The Advertiser understands Premier Li Qiang will make Adelaide the first stop of a three-leg visit to Australia, which will also include visits to Canberra and Perth.

Mr Li is the second-ranking member of the Chinese government and considered to be President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man.

As well as the panda announcement, industry is hopeful that remaining bans on lobster and some red meat will be lifted as a result of his trip.

Giant pandas Fu Ni and Wang Wang have been on loan from China since 2009 in an agreement that was due to expire in November this year.

China's Premier Li Qiang is set to visit Adelaide this month where he is expected to make an announcement on Adelaide’s giant panda program. Picture: Kim Hong-Ji

Adelaide Zoo had been waiting to hear whether China would renew its contract to host the pair – the only giant pandas living in the southern hemisphere.

It is likely that Fu Ni and Wang Wang will be replaced with another pair of breeding pandas, which was first reported following a meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in March.

At a press conference in Canberra on Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to confirm the visit of Mr Li.

“But certainly I have said that I welcome the re-engagement that is occurring with China. It’s a good thing,” he said.

Adelaide is likely to get a new breeding pair of giant pandas. Picture: Russell Millard

“We want to co-operate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, but we’ll engage in the national interest. And we have an annual bilateral leaders meeting.

“Last year I held that in Beijing. This year it’s due to be held here in Canberra.”

Any potential visit would be announced via simultaneous statements released by Canberra and Beijing.

China black-listed Australian lobster imports in November 2020, in a furious reaction to Australia’s call for an inquiry into Covid-19’s origins.

Additionally, four Australian red meat abattoirs remain banned by China over mislabelling issues – but none are based in SA.

In early May, Trade Minister Don Farrell said remaining bans on Australian produce were likely to be lifted within weeks, after wine tariffs were lifted in March.

“I’m hopeful, and I hope I’m not too optimistic about this, but in the next few weeks, that all of the trade impediments between ourselves and China will be removed and we will be back in respect of all of those products into the Chinese market,” he said.

“I believe the Chinese authorities have been doing work on both of these products (lobster and red meat) and I think we should expect a favourable decision in the very near future.”

New Zealand Premier Christopher Luxon announced on Monday that Mr Li would visit his country this week.