Australia welcomed Wednesday "stability" recovered from its long strained relations with Beijing é the occasion of a visit by the head of Chinese diplomacy à Canberra, despite several disputes which remain. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began a whirlwind visit to Australia on Wednesday, his first trip to the country since 2017, marking a thaw in bilateral relations after years of disputes. Her Australian counterpart Penny Wong underlined, after a meeting, “the extent of the progress (…) accomplished in a short time” and welcomed the the “stability” found between Beijing and Canberra. Recent efforts to restore relations have “broken the ice”, allowing “mutual trust” and a “good dynamic” to take hold, said the Chinese minister. “The most important thing is to continue to seek common ground,” he stressed. Ms Wong, however, raised several points of friction, including the fate of imprisoned Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun, sentenced to a suspended death sentence for espionage in February. “I told the Foreign Minister that Australians were shocked by the sentence handed down to him,” she said. The writer categorically denies the accusations against him. Demonstration against human rights violations committed by China in front of the Australian Parliament during the meeting between the Australian and Chinese foreign ministers, March 20, 2024 in Canberra © AFP – DAVID GRAY Ms Wong also said she had “raised Australia's concerns regarding human rights, particularly in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong”. Hong Kong on Tuesday passed a new national security law providing for life imprisonment for offenses such as treason or insurrection. Penny Wong warned that this reform would “further erode rights and freedoms” in Hong Kong, with “considerable repercussions”, including in Australia, according to a source in her ministry. Protesters gathered on the lawns of the Australian parliament during the meeting, accusing China of human rights abuses. A small group waving Tibetan flags and shouting “Free Tibet” then clashed with police in front of the Chinese embassy. – Barriers gradually lifted – The two ministers also discussed the two giant pandas – diplomatic tools prized by China – loaned to Australia in 2009, and which it is “probable” that they will remain in the country in the immediate future, said Penny Wong. Demonstration against human rights violations committed by China in front of the Australian Parliament during the meeting between the Australian and Chinese foreign ministers, March 20, 2024 in Canberra © AFP – DAVID GRAY Bilateral relations deteriorated in 2018, with the exclusion of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from Australia's 5G network, for security reasons. In 2020, Canberra called for an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19, an approach denounced as political by China. In response, Beijing imposed trade restrictions on many products imported from Australia, including barley, beef and wine, and suspended imports of coal . Most of these barriers have been gradually lifted, but restrictions remain on Chinese imports of Australian wines, previously a major export item for Canberra. A final decision on tariffs on Australian wine will be made at the end of the month, Wang said. The discussions also focused on nickel, the world market for which was turned upside down by the explosion of exports from Indonesia, after massive investments from China and an evolution in refining techniques. Nickel prices have fallen by around 40% in 2023, prompting many Australian companies to review their projects or reduce the value of their assets. Mr. Wang later told the Australia-China Chamber of Commerce that the common interests between the two countries far outweighed their differences. “China is Australia's largest trading partner and the largest customer for our products such as iron ore,” observed Simon Trott, a head of the mining sector at Rio Tinto attending the meeting, welcoming the “stabilization” of relations. All rights of reproduction and representation reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116