Ties warm during Chinese Premier Li's Aussie trip, but dark clouds loom

There is a gap between the two countries’ expectations of the relationship, expert says

- Jonathan Pearlman

Chinese Premier Li Qiang was greeted on June 17 with a 19-gun salute in Canberra and smiles from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but the warm handshakes were accompanied by hints of looming troubles in the relationship.

Following their meeting on a frosty morning in the Australian capital, Mr Albanese and Mr Limaking the first visit to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven announced several years measures to advance the bilateral relationship, including allowing Australians to access visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.

The two leaders also agreed to improve communication between their militaries, following incidents in which Canberra accused Beijing's military of dangerous manoeuvres in open seas and in airspace above international waters off Japan and South Korea.

"This relationship is on the right track of steady improvement and development," Mr Li told reporters after the meeting.

For one thing, Beijing's "panda diplomacy" is being extended. Mr Li viewed the popular pair Wang Wang and Fu Ni at Adelaide Zoo on June 16 and announced that China would loan new pandas to replace them.

The duo have been on loan since 2009 but will return to China by the end of 2024.

Mr Albanese adopted a more restrained description of the bilateral ties, saying that the two countries had "renewed and revitalised our engagement".

"We've agreed across a range of (memorandums of understanding) and arrangements today that will continue to shape and drive our practical cooperation as we continue the process of stabilising the relationship," he said.

He told reporters on June 17 that he had raised Canberra's various differences with Beijing with Mr Li, including concerns about Beijing's lack of support for efforts to counter Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"On some issues there's immediate agreement, on some issues there is not," Mr Albanese said.