Coalition demands Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raise important ‘security issues' in meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese landed in Beijing late on Saturday evening, beginning a six-day visit that will include his fourth meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Key figures in the Albanese government have said they hope the trip will lead to a stronger 'economic partnership' with China, which is by far Australia's largest trading partner.
The federal Coalition has welcomed the focus on stronger economic ties, but shadow attorney general Julian Leeser stressed the government must raise security issues that continue to be a source of tension between the two countries.
'The relationship with China is very important… It's really important for Australian jobs and the Australian economy that we have a successful trading relationship with China,' Mr Leeser told Sunday Agenda.
'China is our largest trading partner. They're larger in terms of trade, than the next four or five trading partners combined.
'We want to see more markets for Australian goods - like blueberries… so the focus on the economy is very good.
'But we also must make sure that the Prime Minister raises some of the security issues that are part of the relationship.'
The shadow minister named a Chinese warship conducting live fire drills in the Tasman Sea earlier this year, as well as the importance of the US presence in the Indo-Pacific, as among the issues the Prime Minister must raise.
'What happened in the Tasman Sea, where we had the Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea in a disrespectful manner, is not on, and it's important that the Prime Minister raise these issues,' he said.
'It's important that the Prime Minister raise the ongoing relationship with the US, and the US's role in the Indo-Pacific, and that he raises the detention and treatment of Australians in Chinese prisons as well.
'Those are issues that are also part of the relationship. So I welcome a focus on trade, but we need to hear a comprehensive discussion between the Prime Minister and President Xi.'
Treasurer Jim Chalmers told Sky News Australia the Albanese government had raised issues of disagreement as it worked to stabilise the relationship since taking office.
'We've worked really hard to stabilise this relationship. We've worked through issues in a calm and consistent way without compromising what's important to us,' Mr Chalmers said.
'We've raised issues and complexities when it's been important that we do that.
'But overall, our efforts to stabilise the relationship and now to strengthen that relationship are in the interests of our people and their economy. There couldn't be a more important time to do that.
"That's why it's so good that Prime Minister Albanese is engaging with leaders in China, businesses in China, to try and maximise these opportunities that are so central to the relationship."
Mr Leeser said he wanted Australia to have a 'good trading relationship with China', but he signalled this was unlikely unless the CCP changed its approach to the rules-based international order.
'I think it's very much in both countries' interests for it to return to those days (during the Howard government), where we had record trade with China and we had a relationship in relation to security and other geostrategic issues that did not concern us.
"We want to have an Indo-Pacific where countries abide by the rules-based international order, where no one power is dominant, where there is people playing by the rules of law - that's very, very important.
"We've worked through issues in a calm and consistent way without compromising what's important to us," the Treasurer said.
"We've raised issues and complexities when it's been important that we do that.
But overall, our efforts to stabilise the relationship and now to strengthen that relationship in the interests of our people and their economy, there couldn't be a more important time to do that.
"That's why it's so good that Prime Minister Albanese is engaging with leaders in China, businesses in China, to try and maximise these opportunities that are so central to the relationship.
'We want to have a respectful relationship with China, and we want to have a good trading relationship with China. If the People's Republic of China wants to do that with Australia, then we're very much up for that.'
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