Anthony Albanese optimistic China visit still on agenda

Anthony Albanese still ‘likely’ to visit China by the end of the year, despite Beijing’s detention of Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun and its unresolved trade bans.

Anthony Albanese meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. Picture: Twitter

Anthony Albanese remains “likely” to visit China by the end of the year, despite Beijing’s ongoing detention of Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun and its unresolved trade bans against Australian exports.

Senior government officials have raised the prospect in discussions with key stakeholders of delaying the Prime Minister’s planned China trip, amid concerns Beijing is yet to offer concessions to get the bilateral relationship back on track.

But Mr Albanese was upbeat in a Monday interview with Sky News on the prospect that he would visit Beijing this year.

“I think it is … likely to be the case,” he said.

“We’re discussing arrangements between officials.”

He said engagement and dip­lomacy were “always a good thing”, and the government had pursued talks with Beijing in that spirit.

Mr Albanese’s comments follow those of Foreign Minister Penny Wong last week, in which she was cooler on the prospect of a prime ministerial visit to Beijing this year.

“We would hope for the most positive circumstances for such a visit,” she said after talks with senior Chinese Communist Party director Wang Yi in Jakarta.

China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, had been due to arrive in Australia this month to lay the groundwork for Mr Albanese’s visit but his trip is up in the air.

Mr Qin has not been seen in public for weeks and he has been the subject of unverifiable alle­gations online about his private life involving a US-based Chinese television presenter.

The Australian government’s more positive outlook for the trip comes despite bounties being ­issued by Hong Kong police for the arrest of pro-democracy activists, including Australian citizen Kevin Yam and Australian resident Ted Hui.

Mr Albanese last week said the bounties were “just unacceptable”, while Senator Wong said she had “deep concerns” over Beijing’s pursuit of the activists.

The Coalition called on Mr ­Albanese to reconsider his trip to China over the matter.

“What kind of message does it send to visit while the Chinese government has bounties out on Australian citizens and residents?” opposition cybersecurity spokesman James Paterson said.

One longtime China watcher said ongoing tensions in the relationship suggested “conditions are not yet right” for Mr Albanese to travel to Beijing.

Warwick Smith, the chair of the Business Council of Australia’s international engagement committee, said progress was being made on stabilising the bilateral relationship.

“Some issues have been resolved,” Mr Smith said, pointing to the resumption of ministerial talks and the elimination of some trade barriers.

“There’s confidence that between now and probably the end of the year, others can be resolved.

“Both parties are doing all that they can, and so is the business community to get to that outcome. It’s a work in progress.”