Anthony Albanese jetting off to China this week for important meeting with president Xi Jinping
His trip will mark the pair's fourth meeting and Mr Albanese's second visit to China since he was elected Prime Minister in May 2022.
After thawing the diplomatic freeze formed under predecessor Scott Morrison post his COVID-inquiry call, trade and investment are expected to be a heavy focus of Mr Albanese's discussions.
Following their first face-to-face on the sidelines the G20 summit in Bali in 2022, Mr Albanese had travelled to Beijing in November 2023. The trip marked the first Australian PM to visit China since 2016.
Their most recent meeting in November 2024 was at the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
While the PM's last whirlwind three-day visit in 2023 divided time between Shanghai and Beijing — Mr Albanese has added Chengdu to the itinerary this time.
The city of 21 million in the south-western province of Sichuan is China's famous panda hotspot.
This trip will also span five days and will be joined by a media contingent and delegation of high-profile business executives.
It's expected to include senior figures from BHP, Rio Tinto, BlueScope Steel, HSBC and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.
China is WA's number one trading partner with merchandise exports to the country last year valued at $135.6 billion dollars. One in four jobs in the State rely on Beijing to export goods.
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