Military Space News
WATER WORLD
Australian PM to visit China in November to meet with Xi
Australian PM to visit China in November to meet with Xi
by AFP Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Oct 22, 2023

Australia's prime minister will visit China in early November to meet President Xi Jinping, Canberra confirmed Sunday, as the two trading partners work to repair a once-frosty relationship.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese locked in the trip -- from November 4 to November 7 -- after China agreed to review hefty tariffs on Australian wine which had sparked a festering World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.

It also follows the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, deported from China earlier this month after being detained for three years on espionage charges widely seen as politically motivated.

"I look forward to visiting China, an important step towards ensuring a stable and productive relationship," Albanese said in a statement.

"I welcome the progress we have made to return Australian products, including Australian wine, to the Chinese market."

The widely anticipated trip would be the first to China by an Australian prime minister since 2016.

- Tariff dispute -

China slapped tariffs on key Australian exports such as barley, beef and wine in 2020, flexing its economic muscle at the height of a bitter dispute with Australia's former conservative government.

It also halted imports of some of Australia's most significant commodities, including coal, curbing billions of dollars in trade.

China had been angered by Australian laws barring tech giant Huawei from 5G contracts and its call for an independent investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many of those trade barriers have been slowly wound back after Australia's centre-left government -- elected in May last year -- adopted a less confrontational approach.

This year China has dropped tariffs on Australian barley, ended an import ban on Australian timber, and agreed to resume receiving shipments of Australian coal.

Over the next five months China will conduct an "expedited review" of its tariffs on Australian wine, Albanese said.

Australia has threatened to resume complaints to the WTO if "the duties are not removed at the end of the review", he added.

China confirmed on Sunday that it had agreed with Australia to "appropriately" resolve their trade disputes, particularly over wine.

- Softening tensions -

There has also been progress on diplomatic fronts, with China earlier this month agreeing to free Australian journalist Cheng, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

Australia's government had long campaigned for her release, calling for China to follow "basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment".

Recent economic data released by Beijing suggests the country's post-Covid recovery is running out of steam and growth is slowing, heaping pressure on the terms of China's external trade relationships.

The softening of tensions with Canberra comes as Chinese President Xi has taken a more pragmatic diplomatic approach with international partners.

Xi had called for relations with Australia to "improve" in a November 2022 meeting with Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WATER WORLD
Australia says no need to cancel Chinese lease of Darwin port
Sydney (AFP) Oct 20, 2023
Australia's government said Friday it had decided against cancelling a Chinese company's lease of the northern Port of Darwin after a review into the national security risks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left government said it accepted the review's finding that there was no need to cancel Chinese-owned Landbridge's 99-year lease of the port, granted in 2015. The report found a "robust" regulatory system and "sufficient" ongoing monitoring of risks to critical infrastructure, includi ... read more

WATER WORLD
Northrop Grumman Completes Key Review for Future Pacific Missile Warning Satellites

Germany 'working' to send Ukraine new Patriot system: Zelensky

$3.5 bn Germany deal the biggest yet for Israeli arms sector

Germany and Israel sign 'historic' missile shield deal

WATER WORLD
Czechs to buy 48 air-to-air missiles from Israel

US Navy intercepts 3 missiles fired from Yemen 'potentially' at Israel: Pentagon

In first, Ukraine uses US-supplied long-range ATACMS: Zelensky

Israel says has 'evidence' militants to blame for Gaza hospital blast

WATER WORLD
Raytheon's KuRFS and Coyote detect and defeat UAS targets

US-led troops in Iraq reportedly targeted by suicide drone

Drones shot down in attack on US troops in Syria: Iraq condemns attacks on US forces

Enhancing the safety and efficacy of drone flights in polar regions

WATER WORLD
DoD enlists SES Space and Defense for satellite-based communication services

University of Kansas wins $5M NSF grant to help secure 5G for U.S. Military

DARPA Selects Teams to Boost Supply-and-Demand Network Resiliency

Northrop Grumman to Create Constellation of Connectivity for Air Force Research Laboratory

WATER WORLD
The Israel-Hamas military balance

Israeli forces prepare for grinding urban war in Gaza

'Not proud at all': Japan's army struggles to recruit

Britain, European allies unveil $122M security package for Ukraine

WATER WORLD
Seoul, Tokyo, US condemn North Korea's supply of arms to Russia

France announces sale of defensive weapons to Armenia

Russia 'highly values' N. Korean support against Ukraine

Brazil probes theft of heavy machine guns from army base

WATER WORLD
Russian court extends detention of U.S. journalist until December

With Mideast crisis, Russia and China hope to turn tables on US

Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to Turkish parliament

Australia PM begins White House visit with China, Ukraine on menu

WATER WORLD
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.