Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrives in Beijing ahead of a meeting with senior officials and a formal bilateral with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
"I acknowledge and thank the government of the People's Republic of China for the invitation to be here so that we can spend the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries," she said.Ms Wong was due to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday afternoon,between the two countries.
Speaking on the tarmac after arriving in Beijing, Ms Wong said she would not pre-empt outcomes from the meeting, but confirmed she would raise issues related to consular cases, human rights, and trade concerns."We obviously have a lot of issues to work through and dialogue is a prerequisite for working them through."Asked about human rights, Ms Wong said Australia "always raises the issue of human rights at all levels as appropriate".
She said Australia believed it was "in the interest both countries for the trade impediments to be removed". Senator Wong's visit officially marks 50 years since the Whitlam government established diplomatic relations with China, but it is the first visit by an Australian minister since diplomatic tensions nosedived in 2019.
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