Albanese to return to China as Beijing pushes for ‘mature’ ties
Published: 12:02 21 May 2025 AEST
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make a second official visit to China later this year for high-level talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, reinforcing a growing diplomatic thaw between Canberra and Beijing.
Bilateral dialogue with close trading partner
The trip will coincide with the Annual Leaders' Meeting and is hoped to reignite a key bilateral dialogue following Premier Li’s June 2024 visit to Australia.
It follows a personal message from Xi Jinping congratulating Albanese on his recent election victory and expressing China’s interest in “promoting a more mature, stable and productive” relationship with Australia.
The visit will place Albanese among a select group of Australian prime ministers to receive multiple invitations to Beijing within a single term – which points to the continuing strategic importance of the relationship even as broader geopolitical realignments take place.
The PM’s first visit in November 2023 marked a turning point, paving the way for the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and the removal of punitive trade barriers imposed during the previous government.
While the date for the upcoming visit is yet to be announced, it is expected to take place within the context of a temporary 90-day pause in US-China tariff tensions.
US tariff issue gives Australia room
The Trump administration’s flip flopping on trade has presented so-called middle powers such as Australia and Canada with the opportunity and space to pursue their own trade and diplomatic agendas.
Among likely agenda items are China’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), future cooperation on renewable energy and longstanding consular issues, including the case of detained writer Yang Hengjun.
Beijing’s recent 30-day visa-free travel arrangement for Australians and renewed state-level engagement, including over 40 Chinese official delegations since 2022, signal broader efforts to strengthen people-to-people links and commercial ties.
The visit will also test Australia’s balancing act between deepening trade with China and maintaining regional security partnerships, particularly in the context of the Taiwan question and the regional order.
