Chinese premier Li Qiang arrives in Adelaide, Jim Chalmers hails ‘important’ visit
In a statement after arriving in Australia for a four day visit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang declares he wants to leave the nations’ differences in the past.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived in Australia for a four-day visit, declaring he wants to leave the nations’ differences in the past.
China’s No. 2 leader arrived in Adelaide about 4.50pm on Saturday, where he was met by Penny Wong, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian and Australia’s ambassador to China, Scott Dewar.
He is the most senior Chinese leader to visit Australia in seven years, and the Albanese government is hailing the trip as a fresh milestone in its stabilisation of the nation’s China relationship.
In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy, Mr Li said “shelving differences” had helped get the bilateral relationship “back on track after a period of twists and turns”, and China was looking forward to renewing the nations’ cooperation and “friendship”.
“China stands ready to work with Australia,” he said. “A more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership will be a treasure shared by both countries.”
Mr Li is accompanied on the trip by a senior delegation including Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun, and the Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Liu Sushe.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers talked up the economic significance of the trip, saying it was “significant step in the relationship” that would deliver dividends for everyday Australians.
Dr Chalmers revealed he would sign a memorandum of understanding with Mr Liu concerning the nations’ annual strategic economic dialogue, which was restored last year after a three-year hiatus.
He said the government’s re-engagement with China had seen “billions of dollars of trade restrictions eased”.
“This relationship has no shortage of complexities, no shortage of challenges, but it’s a really, really important relationship for Australia,” Dr Chalmers said.
He said Labor believed “you get more for Australia and its people and its economy when you engage meaningfully … in the interests of our workers and our employers and our investors and our economy”.
On Sunday, Mr Li will announce Adelaide Zoo will be leased two new giant pandas, and will meet with South Australian winemakers whose products are once again flowing into China after Beijing dropped its punitive sanctions against the sector.
He will meet Anthony Albanese for bilateral talks in Canberra the following day, amid a major security lockdown aimed at preventing clashes between “patriotic” Chinese and human rights protesters.
Temporary fencing has been set up around Parliament House and the city’s Hyatt Hotel where the Chinese delegation will stay.
Dr Chalmers said the arrangements reflected the status of the visit and said he would not second-guess the scale of the precautions.
Mr Albanese will accompany Mr Li to Perth for meetings with business figures on Thursday, and tours of Tianqi Lithium’s Kwinana processing plant and a Fortescue Metals Group hydrogen project.
The visit follows China’s removal of almost all of its trade bans on $20bn worth of Australian exports that were put in place after the Morrison government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
Australian rock lobster and red meat from a small number of abattoirs are the only products that remain sanctioned by Beijing.
Donald Trump’s former Asia tsar Matt Pottinger urged Mr Albanese to have his “eyes wide open” when he met with Mr Li, warning him not to be lured into believing the visit would result in any real changes to Beijing’s behaviour.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said dialogue with China was important, “but we should also expect China to use its influence globally to support good and not tolerate evil”.
“Immense human suffering and economic disruption has been caused by Russian provoked war and Iranian sponsored terrorism, yet China still undertakes military exercises with these nations and offers them economic lifelines,” Senator Birmingham said.
“Closer to home, the conduct of China’s military forces endangers our own region by unnecessarily pressing boundaries and crossing lines of acceptable engagement or conduct.
“Everyone wishes this to be a positive visit, but for a positive future the world needs a lot more than panda diplomacy. We need China to play a constructive role in pursuing peace and stability, not one that empowers those destabilising the world.”
Mr Li arrived in Australia from New Zealand, where he announced visa-free travel for Kiwis, in a move the Australia-China Business Council hopes will be replicated for Australian travellers.
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