Australian and Chinese leaders meet in Beijing while their countries try to mend

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years as the two countries try to mend their tattered ties.
Chinese state media reported the meeting but did not provide details.
The talks were expected to focus on trade as China has eased some but not all of the restrictive steps it took as relations deteriorated.
Albanese struck an optimistic tone ahead of his meeting, calling for cooperation while emphasizing that the two countries will continue to have differences.
His visit comes near the 50th anniversary of the first trip by an Australian prime minister to the People’s Republic of China.
Relations nosedived in recent years as suspicions of Chinese interference in Australian politics increased. China, in turn, was angered by Australia’s call for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 virus.