Australia is “protesting vigorously” against a ban on consular visits to jailed citizens in China introduced as a massive wave of Covid-19 swept the country..
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong raised sensitive issues of trade blockages and human rights during her high-stakes meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in a historic discussion that paves the way for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to consider visiting Beijing next year.
In the first visit to China by an Australian minister in three years, Wong used her 90-minute meeting with Xi Jinping’s foreign minister to urge Beijing to lift trade sanctions on Australian goods worth $20 billion and to raise the case of two Australians detained in China – journalist Cheng Lei and writer Yang Hengjun.
“In the last few years, our relationship has encountered difficulties and setbacks.,” Wang said. “This is what we do not want to see. The lessons must be learned.” The talks were held as Beijing braced for another difficult winter with a massive wave of COVID sweeping the country, which long-held a COVID-zero policy.
Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher, said consular officials were particularly focused on regaining access to detained citizens.
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