Australia’s Albanese to highlight trade on China visit as ties warm

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will highlight trade as an anchor for stabilising ties when he makes the first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years, as badly strained relations move back to an even footing, business leaders said.
Albanese, who arrives on Saturday, will attend the opening of China’s top imports fair in Shanghai, and speak to a large business delegation, the following day.
He has said he also will raise concerns over rising tension in the South China Sea in a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.
His government has taken credit for stabilising ties with Australia’s largest trading partner since coming to office last year, as China lifted most trade blocks imposed in a 2020 diplomatic dispute that cost A$20 billion in commodity and food exports.