China’s Wang Yi invited to Australia as Beijing, Canberra ties thaw after prolonged frost

Australia has invited Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, for a two-day visit in the second half of March. He is expected to discuss a range of thorny issues on the table after bilateral relations warmed last year, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The trip will take place as bilateral trade, often the smoothest segment of talks, has largely normalised following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s China visit in November.

“[Australian foreign minister] Penny Wong issued a formal invitation to Wang,” one source explained, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

“The invitation was the formal conclusion of discussions between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and [the Chinese] embassy over a couple of weeks.”

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Wang is expected to spend one day in Canberra and another day in Sydney, according to another source.

The second source added that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been pushing for a lifting of sanctions on Australian wine and lobsters during Wang’s visit. The two goods have been blocked from import into China since 2020.

In return, the second source said, China is pushing for Australia to sign a new Science and Technology Agreement. The agreement, which the source said has been held up by Canberra due to pressure from the United States, will be an “outstanding issue” for Wang’s visit.

At a press briefing on the day of expiration, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry said the two countries were communicating on the subject – and continued to criticise Washington’s “small yard, high fence” strategy of strenuous tech controls.

“Of course, Aukus will see Australia tighten