Australia's Albanese, China's Li hold 'candid' talks

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang met on Monday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years, with trade ties, regional security and a jailed Australian writer on the host's agenda.

The visit by Li, China's top-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, marks a stabilization in relations between the U.S. security ally and the world's second-biggest economy, after a frosty period of Beijing blocking $20 billion in Australian exports and friction over defense encounters.

"We welcome the continued stabilization and development of our bilateral relations. This dialogue has allowed us to build a deeper awareness of our respective interests," Albanese said in opening remarks.

Australia and China had complementary economies and shared interests in addressing climate change, he said.

"We also have our differences… that's why candid dialogue is so important. For Australia, we consistently advocate the importance of a region and world that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where countries respect sovereignty and abide by international laws," he said.

After the meeting, Li told reporters the leaders held a "candid, in-depth and fruitful meeting and reached a lot of consensus".

"We both agreed to uphold the right characterization of our bilateral relationship and consolidate its momentum...and handling this relationship in a positive attitude," he said.

The two countries would expand cooperation in energy and mining, and China would include Australia in its visa waiver program, he added.

"We both stressed the importance of maintaining communication and coordination to jointly safeguard peace and prosperity in the region and beyond," he said.

Albanese told reporters after the