Former PM John Howard to represent Australia in China

Former PM John Howard will represent Australia at a high-level dialogue in China in December, amid a warming of ties.

Former Prime Minster John Howard will represent Australia in China next month. Picture: Hollie Adams

Former Prime Minister John Howard will represent Australia at a high-level dialogue in China in December amid a warming of ties between the two countries.

The announcement from Foreign Minister Marise Payne comes after her recent visit to Beijing and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham’s visit to Shanghai, which broke a long period between official visits to the communist nation.

The two governments were involved in a major diplomatic spat which started in earnest last year when Australia introduced new foreign interference laws while they were campaigning to win the Bennelong by-election.

Senator Payne said China would be the host of the dialogue and a wide range of Australians would attend.

“China will be hosting the fifth Australia China high level dialogue another initiative of this government to further develop the relationship,” she told parliament on Tuesday.

“I’m pleased to advise the former Australian Prime Minister John Howard will lead the Australian delegation to this Dialogue on the 7th of December.”

“The high level dialogue brings together senior Australian and Chinese leaders from across government, business, academia, media and the arts to discuss key aspects of the bilateral relationship which will include diplomatic, economic and trade relations, those people to people links and international and regional co-operation.”

China also recently indicated it was keen to work with Australia on development and aid projects in the Pacific Islands.

Senator Payne said Australia was keen to work with China’s new development agency.

“I met the chair of the recently established China International Development co-operation Agency and proposed the establishment of a development dialogue and technical exchanges between his agency and the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”

The two countries have previously clashed over China’s development projects in the pacific. Australia’s former International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells accused China of forcing regional nations into debt and said the nation was building “roads to nowhere” in the Pacific.