The head of Australian diplomacy visits Beijing, a first for four years

With our correspondent in Sydney, Gregory Plesse

Warming was initiated after Labor election last May, and it comes after extremely tense years between the two countries. So will Penny Wong, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, manage to convince her Chinese counterpart to lift the trade sanctions imposed two years ago by Beijing on multiple Australian export products? This is the question facing Canberra, as this visit to Beijing confirms the thaw.

While Labor asserted from day one that their national interests and position on the treatment of the Uyghurs, or Australia’s alliance with the United States, was the same as their Conservative predecessors, Labor also immediately set about stabilizing a relationship that had turned chilly under the previous Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.

China, ready to make concrete gestures?

Last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke directly with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 in Bali. An exchange that he then described as constructive. It remains to be seen now whether, beyond the courtesies, China will make concrete gestures.

Beyond the lifting of trade sanctions, the Australians are demanding the release of two of their fellow citizens, imprisoned for alleged espionage reasons. Australian journalist Cheng Lei was arrested by Chinese authorities in August 2020 and charged with “ provided state secrets abroad “. Australian of Chinese origin Yang Jun was arrested in January 2019 and since tried behind closed doors for espionage. “I think it would be beneficial if these consular issues were sorted out not just for individuals, which I think is important in itself, but also for (our) relationships,” said the Australian Foreign Minister.

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