The special dish Premier Peter Malinauskas served for Chinese Premier Li Qiang

Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed the special South Aussie dish – with a hidden meaning – that was served to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his visit.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed he deliberately served Chinese Premier Li Qiang with southern rock lobster at a weekend Adelaide lunch to press the case for abolishing the final punitive tariff with the communist nation.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Malinauskas said the dish had been chosen for the Penfolds Magill Estate lunch as part of a concerted campaign against the lobster tariff.

Premier Li visited Adelaide as part of a three-day Australian trip, announcing on Sunday morning Adelaide Zoo’s giant pandas would return home and be replaced by a new pair.

Premier Peter Malinauskas with China's Premier Li Qiang during his visit to the Adelaide Zoo on Sunday. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake / AFP

The Chinese delegation, led by Premier Li, then went to Magill Estate for wine tasting and lunch.

“One of them was I don’t mind saying rather deliberate – that Premier Li had some southern rock lobster and I took that as an opportunity to raise how much we would love to see that last tariff lifted. Whether or not that was well received, time will tell, but you’re duty bound to raise something like that, in a diplomatic way,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“The last remaining punitive tariff that is sitting there really does affect South Australia more than anywhere else. There are other southern rock lobster and northern rock lobster industries around the country, but it really is having a big impact on the South East.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Foreign minister Penny Wong hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang for lunch at Penfolds Winery on Sunday. Picture: ABC via NewsWire

“We’ve had the chance to meet (with them). These aren’t big companies. There’s normally families – or there are some corporates – but there are families that have intergenerational licenses and they’re doing it really tough at the moment. I don’t really know for what end.”

Up to 95 per cent of South Australia’s rock lobster exports were sent to China before the 2020 ban, which cruelled an industry that contributes more than 30 per cent of the state’s seafood gross product worth $158.5m.

The Premier revealed he deliberately served Chinese Premier southern rock lobster at the weekend lunch.

Federal Trade Minister Don Farrell on Tuesday night said lobster had been deemed a “biosecurity issue” by his Chinese counterpart, with whom he had met eight times on the issue.

“I’m now very, very confident as a result of the meetings, today and yesterday, that these final issues will be resolved, and resolved very quickly, and that Chinese consumers will very soon have the benefit of wonderful Australian rock lobster on their menu,” Senator Farrell said.

Asked by The Advertiser on Wednesday if AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine construction in Adelaide was the elephant in the room during talks with Premier Li, Mr Malinauskas said this was not discussed.

“ The Chinese government and the local consulate are pretty assiduous in following things that the government of the day and alternative governments are saying and doing. My view about AUKUS are very well known and I wouldn’t ever avoid this subject because people know my position and it’s not a secret,” he said.

Originally published as The special dish Premier Peter Malinauskas served for Chinese Premier Li Qiang