Following days of speculation China’s foreign ministry confirmed the meeting after Wong signalled she was open to a direct conversation
in the World Trade Organization over anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine and barley.
Since the Albanese government was elected in May, Australia and China have gradually reopened lines of high-level communication. Australia’s deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, met China’s defence ministerThe June meeting was the first talks between Australia and China’s defence ministers in more than two years. Marles used the meeting with Wei Fenghe to raise concerns about a Chinese fighter plane’sover the South China Sea region on 26 May.
While Wong and Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, have repeatedly emphasised the importance of China removing trade sanctions to stabilising the relationship, Farrell struck a more conciliatory note“So at the moment the plan is to proceed with those [disputes],” he said. “Obviously if the opportunity arises to have a different set of discussions, whereby we can nut out a compromise situation, then I’d be fully supportive of going down that track.
But while communications channels appear to have reopened at ministerial levels, significant irritants remain in the relationship. The new Labor government has also doubled down on criticisms of Beijing in public.
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