AUSTRALIA – FOREIGN RELATIONS – CHINA

China and Australia in new rare earths and iron ore disputes

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Original article by Tim Treadgold
Forbes – Page: Online : 26-Nov-25

Northern Minerals is concerned that Chinese investors may have failed to comply with a federal government directive to divest shares in the rare earths miner. Its Browns Range project contains heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, and Northern Minerals is in talks with the US government-owned Export-Import Bank regarding a $US250m loan to help finance further work at the undeveloped project. In separate but potentially related action – given that China is a common link – media reports have suggested that the China Mineral Resources Group has extended a ban on steel mills purchasing certain types of iron ore from BHP. CMRG initially banned BHP’s Jimbelbar fines earlier this year, but this is said to have been expanded to include Jingbao fines.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU, CHINA MINERAL RESOURCES GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

PM has a secret China chat, as Xi’s Trump call sparks Taiwan fears

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Nov-25

The federal government’s commitment to transparency is under renewed scrutiny after it declined to reveal what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed in a private meeting with one of China’s most senior politicians, Zhao Leji. Albanese’s office said the meeting with the chairman of the National People’s Congress was a private conversation, and contended that it is only required to disclose the details of meetings with a nation’s leader. It is uncertain as to whether Albanese raised the issue of Taiwan with Zhao; however, Chinese President Xi Jinping has asserted during a phone call to US counterpart Donald Trump that returning Taiwan to China’s control is on his government’s agenda.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

One absent ambassador and two useful idiots

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Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 1 & 11 : 3-Sep-25

The Chinese government’s Victory Day parade in Beijing will be attended by the leaders of Russia, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar. Australia’s ambassador to China, Scott Dewar, will be a notable absentee, and the nation will be represented by a defence attache and political counsellor from the embassy; in contrast, the then-minister for veteran affairs Michael Ronaldson represented Australia in 2015. Sources have stated that there is "no way" Labor would send a government representative to an event being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The sources have stressed that former state premiers Bob Carr and Daniel Andrews are attending the event in their personal capacity; Carr is also an ex-foreign minister.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Xi defiant on navy drills in talks with Albanese

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Original article by Ben Packham, Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 16-Jul-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed a range of issues during their meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, including the Chinese navy’s live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea earlier this year. Albanese acknowledged that the Chinese vessels had been operating in international waters when they carried out the drills and subsequently circumnavigated Australia; however, he asked China to provide more notice of future drills near Australian waters. Xi responded by stating that China’s naval forces will conduct exercises "wherever they want" in international waters. Albanese also agreed to a review of the China-Australia free-trade agreement, which took effect a decade ago. Landbridge Group’s lease over the Port of Darwin and Australia’s ban on Chinese investment in critical infrastructure were not raised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

China, critical minerals dominate Quad agenda

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 2-Jul-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese still hopes to have his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders’ meeting later this year. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s executive director Justin Bassi say the Quad meeting must address issues such as China’s "coercive conduct" in the Indo-Pacific region and the nation’s dominance of global critical minerals supply. These issues are also expected to be discussed at this week’s Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington DC.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED

Xi, PM tout best relations in decade

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Nov-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The private meeting coincided with the 10th anniversary of Xi’s historic speech to federal parliament in Canberra. Xi told Albanese that there has been a ‘turnaround’ in relations between the two nations over the last decade, and expressed hope that this will continue. Albanese in turn said that the entire Indo-Pacific region will benefit from the prosperity arising from peace, security and stability. Albanese also indicated that he raised a number of issues that matter to Australia, including Taiwan, human rights, cyber security and the ongoing detention of Yang Hengjun in China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

PM’s last word on press freedom as Li departs

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Will Glasgow, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 19-Jun-24

Chinese Premier Li Qiang ended his four-day visit to Australia on Tuesday. However, the federal government failed to make any progress in getting China to lift its ban on Australian lobster imports, which is the only major export that remains subject to Chinese trade restrictions. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has belatedly responded to Chinese officials’ attempts to block freed journalist Cheng Lei from the view of cameras during a joint press conference with Li on Monday. Albanese said the action was "clumsy" and "ham-fisted", but Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on him to "grow a backbone" and stand up for Australia. The government also waited until Li had left Australia before releasing a statement expressing its "grave concern" over an incident in which Chinese ships had rammed Philippines vessels in the South China Sea.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Investment tax break call falls on deaf ears

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 19-Jun-24

The federal government has declined to state its position on whether companies with links to China will be eligible to receive production tax credits. Resources Minister Madeleine King says the main purpose of this incentive is to encourage the downstream processing of critical minerals in Australia. She acknowledged that China-based Tianqi is doing this at its Kwinana lithium processing plant in Western Australia. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the plant on Tuesday, accompanied by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Li has told China’s state-run media that he hopes for a "fair and non-discriminatory" business environment for Chinese companies that have assets in Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TIANQI LITHIUM CORPORATION

Candid meeting clears the air

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jun-24

Five memorandums of understanding between Australia and China were signed following the meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday, although their details will not be released until after Li concludes his visit in Perth on Tuesday. In what was described as a "candid" meeting, Li and Albanese agreed to improve military-to-military lines of communications in order to hopefully prevent potentially dangerous confrontations in the air or at sea, while Li stated that the two countries could seek common ground while "shelving their differences".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Chinese Premier Li Qiang tipped to visit Canberra in June

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Original article by Michael Smith, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 12-Apr-24

The office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declined to comment on reports that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Australia in June. He would be the most senior Chinese leader to visit Australia since his predecessor Li Keqiang in 2017. Warwick Smith from the Business Council of Australia says a June trip would be logical, as it would coincide with the Australia China Business Dialogue in Sydney. The Chinese media reports also suggested that the ban on Australian lobster exports will be lifted during the visit. China recently scrapped its punitive tariff on Australian wine.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA