AUSTRALIA – FOREIGN RELATIONS – CHINA

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.

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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.

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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".

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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.

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

Yang’s death sentence unlikely to stop Li visit

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Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 2 : 7-Feb-24

Sources have indicated that Chinese Premier Li Qiang is still is expected to visit Australia in late 2024. It would be the first visit by a Chinese leader since 2017, and is unlikely to be affected by a Beijing court’s decision to give Chinese-Australian academic Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence on espionage charges. Associate professor Feng Chongyi says the federal government should make Li’s forthcoming state visit conditional on the release of Yang, whose sentence could potentially be reduced to life in prison after two years of good behaviour.

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Australian academic Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence by Chinese court

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Original article by Helen Davidson, Ben Doherty, Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 6-Feb-24

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the federal government is appalled by the decision of a Chinese court to impose a suspended death sentence on Australian academic Yang Hengjun. An Australian citizen who was born in China, he was arrested in 2019 at Guangzhou airport, accused of spying for an undisclosed foreign country, and has been in detention ever since. A spokesperson for his family said the court’s decision was at the "extreme end of worst expectations", while Human Rights Watch’s Australia director, Daniela Gavshon, said Yang’s sentence was "catastrophic".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Prominent Australians urge Albanese government to adopt activist middle power role to head off war between US and China

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 31-Jan-24

Academics, former politicians and social justice advocate are among 50 prominent Australians who have signed a joint statement calling for the federal government to take a key role in easing tensions between the US and China. They have called for a ‘new detente’ between the two nations in order to reduce threats to both regional and global peace and prosperity. The signatories have argued that Australia can play an ‘activist middle power diplomacy’ role, in close consultation with its key neighbours in the Indo-Pacific region.

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PM urged to be honest over Xi meeting

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Nov-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing growing pressure to reveal whether he discussed a naval incident with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the recent APEC summit in San Francisco. Albanese stated on Monday that he does not disclose the discussions he has with any world leader, but he said allegations that divers from HMAS Toowoomba were injured by a sonar pulse from a Chinese warship have been raised in the "appropriate way". Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Albanese need to be "honest" as to whether he had discussed the issue with Xi. He has also described China’s denial that it had breached international laws as "propaganda". The incident took place within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Albanese accuses China of dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional behaviour in naval ship altercation

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Original article by Josh Butler, Amy Hawkins
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 21-Nov-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to revelations that divers from the HMAS Toowoomba were injured by a sonar pulse from a Chinese warship in international waters last week. Albanese has criticised the Chinese vessel’s conduct, and stated that the federal government had made strong objections to China regarding the incident. However, Albanese has declined to comment on whether he raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the recent APEC summit in San Francisco. Kevin Rudd, Australia’s ambassador to the US, says it is longstanding practice not to comment on the content of conversations between leaders.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Albanese and Xi to restart annual talks

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Nov-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday. Li said the meeting will mark the resumption of annual talks between the leaders of the two nations. Albanese had previously held formal talks with Li in Jakarta in September; it was the first meeting between an Australian prime minister and a Chinese premier since Scott Morrison held talks with the late Li Keqiang in Bangkok in November 2019. Meanwhile, Albanese and Li have agreed to a number of initiatives aimed at improving relations between the two nations, including the introduction of multi-entry visas.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET