Australia, China should take ties ‘far’, Wang Yi says, as he urges more bilateral cooperation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has asked Australian businesses and academics to visit China more and increase partnerships with Chinese counterparts, particularly in green energy, while reaffirming the two countries’ relations are back on track after a successful reset.

In a first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to Australia since 2017 amid thawing relations, Wang met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the seventh Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue in Canberra on Wednesday before speaking privately to a group of Australian leaders.

These include Australia China Business Council (ACBC) president David Olsson, Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Simon Trott, and defence expert and Australia National University professor Hugh White.

Wang told the group China was committed to transforming its economy into one with a “green, high-quality, growth model”, according to a statement from the ACBC.

Olsson said this would offer significant upside to Australian exporters and help “Australia’s own decarbonisation efforts and the longer-term industrial transformation of Australia’s economy”.

Wang and the group also discussed investments, education and digital trade, as well as China’s engagement with the United States and Asia.

“It was a free-ranging discussion reflecting a diverse range of views and voices from the Australian side, reflecting the conversations that are taking place in Australia about the future direction of the bilateral relationship,” Olsson said, adding that the tone of the meeting was “positive”.

Wang also said both countries had more in common than differences and thus should always seek to be partners than opponents.

Bilateral relations sank to an all-time low at the start of the pandemic