How trade talks will dominate Albanese’s China visit

The Prime Minister flew out of Darwin for China on Saturday. See what he did before he left.

Trade talks will dominate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s long-anticipated four day visit to China, which begins Saturday.

Speaking before jetting north from Darwin Airport, Mr Albanese welcomed the strengthening of the Australia-China relationship in recent years.

“I think that the visit in itself is a very positive thing,” he said.

“It’s a result of the patient, calibrated and deliberate approach that we have to the relationship with China.

“The fact that it’s the first visit in seven years to our major trading partner is a very positive step and I look forward to constructive discussions and dialogue.”

Mr Albanese will fly directly from Darwin to Shanghai, where he will attend the China Import Expo, before travelling to Beijing on Sunday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Spee3d founder Steven Camilleri at Charles Darwin University’s advanced manufacturing workshop.

Mr Albanese was speaking at Charles Darwin University following a meeting with Territory start-up Spee3d co-founder Steve Camilleri.

The 3D printing pioneer created an advanced 3D metal printer, one of which was recently sent to Ukraine to assist with their war against Russia.

He was last week named by the Prime Minister during a press conference on the White House lawns with United States President Joe Biden.

Mr Camilleri said he cried when he learnt his business was to be discussed at the top-level White House meeting.

“With Spee3d, we see a great example of that Australian innovation leading to Australian jobs, leading to Australian wealth, making a difference for the people here in the Territory,” Mr Albanese said.

Spee3d has a workforce of about 70 in the Northern Territory and Victoria and anticipates to double employment by this time next year.

Mr Albanese’s Darwin stopover followed a Federal Court intervention on Thursday that halted work on Santos’ $5.3bn Barossa gas project.

The court ordered Santos desist from installing a subsea pipeline pending a full hearing of the court on November 13.

Santos wanted work on the project to begin in 2023 to meet an early 2025 gas production schedule but the brakes were tapped this week when a Traditional Owner took out an 11th hour injunction on cultural grounds.

Asked if he empathised with Santos, which is promising billions in investment and potentially hundreds of new jobs during construction, Mr Albanese said the government was reviewing the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“I won’t comment on any specific case because that could raise by definition legal issues ... but we are going through the (EPBC review) process,” he said.

“We need to make sure we protect our natural environment and our assets.

“We need to make sure as well that our First Nations people in those processes and Native Title is respected.

“We also need to make sure that businesses can operate in a reasonable way and that we don’t have bureaucracy for bureaucracy sake. We need to make sure all those issues are examined, and I’m sure they will be through these processes.”

He was tight-lipped about whether Charles Darwin University’s medical school would be funded to train its own doctors.

“We’ll work through those issues in an orderly way,” he said of the university’s bid for medical placements.

A decision on medical funding is anticipated within weeks.