Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia has announced that he will be visiting China from November 4 to 7. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Albanese stated that the visit will build upon previous discussions and increased ministerial engagement with Beijing over the past year. He expressed his anticipation for the visit, emphasizing the importance of a stable and productive relationship between Australia and China.
Albanese also welcomed the progress made in returning Australian products, including wine, to the Chinese market, highlighting the mutual benefits of strong trade between the two countries. China accounts for nearly one-third of total Australian trade, and Albanese stressed the significance of the relationship, particularly for grape growers looking to diversify from the Chinese market. This visit will be the first by an Australian prime minister to China since 2016 and will coincide with the 50th anniversary of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s visit to China in 1973.
The announcement of Albanese’s visit comes as both nations have reached an agreement to resolve the ongoing trade dispute over Australian wine. The Australian government has agreed to suspend its WTO trade dispute while China reassesses its tariffs. If the tariffs have not been removed by the end of the five-month review process, Australia will resume its dispute resolution process. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Simon Birmingham welcomed the review but criticized the unjustifiability of the tariffs and expressed confidence in a draft WTO report finding them in breach of WTO rules.
Albanese and Australian officials remain optimistic that the trade dispute will be resolved, although they acknowledge that it may take some time. Similar to the wine trade, Chinese tariffs on Australian barley were lifted in August after the Albanese government temporarily suspended its WTO trade dispute. Australian wine and barley were among the products targeted by China with arbitrary trade sanctions in 2020, following Australia’s call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Other Australian goods impacted by the trade wars, such as timber, coal, and beef, have since resumed normal trading, while other exports, including wine, lobster, and cotton, continue to be affected.