‘Turnaround’: Xi talks up China ties in G20 talks with Albanese

Rio de Janeiro: Chinese President Xi Jinping has acknowledged the “twists and turns” in his government’s relations with Australia during a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that sought to cement a strategic partnership that has been rocked by trade disputes.

Xi told Albanese there had been a “turnaround” in relations in recent times and held out the prospect of expanding the economic ties, without using his public remarks to reflect on the previous governments and old disputes.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the G20 summit.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But the positive message came with a statement that Australia should shelve differences with China if it wanted relations to develop well.

Albanese held the formal talks with Xi at the Chinese leader’s hotel in Rio de Janeiro before both leaders arrived at the G20 summit being held in the city on Monday and Tuesday.

In a largely positive meeting with a focus on economic co-operation, both leaders noted that the meeting in Rio de Janeiro was held 10 years to the day after the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, an agreement put in place by then-prime minister Tony Abbott when Xi visited Australia and addressed federal parliament.

Xi emphasised the improvement in relations in more recent years.

“Over the past decade, we have made some progress in China-Australia relations and also witnessed some twists and turns,” he said.

“That trajectory has many inspirations to offer. Now, our relations have realised a turnaround and continue to grow, bringing tangible benefits to our two peoples. So this is the result of our collective hard work in the same direction, and should be maintained with great care.

“I wish to work with you, Mr Prime Minister, to make our comprehensive strategic partnership more mature, stable and fruitful, and inject more stability and certainty to the region and the wider world.”

The two last met for a formal meeting in Beijing last December and at the G20 summit in Bali in late 2022, marking a restoration of top-level talks after several years without leader-to-leader meetings.

The chill in the diplomatic relationship followed China’s criticism of Australian security decisions, including the passage of laws against foreign interference, concerns about cyber threats from China and the formation of the AUKUS alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom.

President Xi Jinping and the Chinese delegation during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian delegation in Rio de Janeiro.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

While the Abbott government sealed a free trade agreement with China in 2014, the differences over regional security – including the construction of Chinese military bases in the South China Sea – led to a series of Chinese bans on Australian coal, barley, lobster, wine and other products.

The government said last month that the improvement in relations with China had restored Australian exports worth $20 billion.

Xi has stepped up his message about a “multipolar world” at the G20 and the earlier gathering of regional leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting in Peru on Friday and Saturday.

The Chinese leader held meetings with United States President Joe Biden as well as leaders from New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Peru and Chile.

Albanese thanked Xi for hosting him in Beijing last year and the fact that the two had “recommenced” the leaders’ meetings between the two countries.

The prime minister made no mention of the differences between the two countries in his public comments, as reporters filmed and recorded the meeting’s opening remarks.

But he used the private talks to raise issues of concern including the suspended death penalty on Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who remains in prison in China.

In a press conference after the meeting, Albanese said the improved relationship with China had helped save jobs but that he would always address the differences between the two countries.

“Our security partnership, our alliance, is with the United States,” he said.

“I’ve said we will disagree where we must, and we do disagree on a range of issues. We have different political systems.

“I raised the issues of human rights, I raised Taiwan, I raised cyber, I raised the supply of assets to Russia, I raised the ICBM missile test that I had previously raised as well with the Chinese premier, so we raised issues that matter to us, to Australia.”

The prime minister’s office said he spoke to Xi about international peace, climate change and consular matters, among other issues. Albanese is seeking stronger support for Ukraine at the G20 and is backing an agreement on climate finance at United Nations talks this month in Azerbaijan.

In a sign of Xi’s diplomatic effort at the G20 summit, the president was joined by several top officials in his talks with Albanese. They included politburo member Cai Qi, foreign minister and politburo member Wang Yi, policy research office director Jiang Jinquan, National Development and Reform Commission chairman Zheng Shanjie, Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Pan Gongsheng.

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