Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Australia to remain committed to cooperation despite growing global instability and renewed trade threats from Donald Trump, during a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing.
In their second face-to-face meeting, held at the Great Hall of the People, Xi stressed that recent improvements in the bilateral relationship must not be derailed by international turbulence.
“No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly,” Xi said, via an interpreter.
Albanese stands with Xi
Albanese, in turn, echoed Xi’s calls for stability and dialogue, stating: “I note your comments in your opening remarks about seeking common ground while sharing differences. That approach has indeed produced very positive benefits for both Australia and China.”
The talks come amid increasing geopolitical tensions, including renewed trade friction from US President Donald Trump and continued pressure from Washington regarding Taiwan. Despite these challenges, both leaders sought to portray a maturing and stabilising relationship between Beijing and Canberra.
Security concerns flared ahead of the meeting when Chinese authorities attempted to restrict Australian journalists accompanying the Prime Minister, preventing them from leaving a popular tourist site in Beijing. Albanese acknowledged the incident, noting, “China has a different system obviously with the media.”
Since taking office, the Albanese government has worked to thaw icy relations with Beijing that reached a nadir in 2020, when China imposed trade sanctions worth AU$20 billion in retaliation for Australia’s foreign policy decisions, including calls for a COVID-19 origins inquiry.
While Albanese focused on dialogue and common ground, several sensitive issues remained on the table. He confirmed that the controversial Chinese ownership of the Port of Darwin, a topic of bipartisan concern in Australia, was not raised during the talks, despite previous campaign promises to reclaim it using public funds if needed.
The PM said he raised the case of detained Chinese-Australian academic Yang Hengjun, who was handed a suspended death sentence earlier this year, though he admitted there was no expectation of an immediate resolution.
“President Xi Jinping and I agreed dialogue must be at the centre of our relationship,” Albanese said following the meeting. “If you don’t have communication, you can have misadventure and misinterpretation.”
Tensions over Taiwan also loomed in the background. The United States has been pressuring Canberra to clarify whether it would commit troops in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan, but the Albanese government has remained non-committal. The Prime Minister reiterated Australia’s support for the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
Coalition Senator James Paterson supported this position, saying Australia should not be asked to take a stance more definitive than that of the US itself.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate for the US government to ask Australia to do more than the United States is willing to do in that regard,” Paterson told ABC Radio, pointing to Washington’s long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity” since 1979.
Albanese also addressed a Chinese military live-fire exercise conducted off the New South Wales coast earlier this year. While acknowledging that the action fell within international law, he conveyed Australia’s concerns regarding the lack of adequate notice and the nature of the drill.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang after his discussions with Xi, as part of his six-day visit aimed at reinforcing diplomatic ties and promoting economic stability between the two nations.
