Human rights, trade raised in high-stakes Beijing meeting
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been greeted on a red carpet by her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in the first Australian ministerial visit to China in three years.
Penny Wong was presented with a giant commemorative envelope during a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and China.The meeting produced no concrete public breakthroughs but flagged progress on trade as Australia attempts to negotiate a way out of sanctions that have hit half a dozen industries.
Wong said she and Wang recognised that Australia and China were very different countries but that both governments were seeking common ground to manage the relationship. At a press conference after the meeting, Wong said she called for Cheng and Yang to be reunited with their families “as soon as possible”.
In an exchange of messages with Governor-General David Hurley to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Xi said he attached “great importance to the development of China-Australia relations”. In his opening remarks, Wang also spoke of the difficulties between Australia and China in recent years.
The talks were held in a flower-bedecked room where long tables were set two metres apart in keeping with social-distancing regulations.Credit:Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher, said he is “protesting vigorously” against a ban on consular visits to jailed citizens in China introduced as lockdown restrictions have returned.
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