Chinese Premier Li touts trade in rare Australia visit [Video]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is toasting a turnaround in trade ties with Australia on Sunday with a trip to a major winegrowing region that was hit by Beijing’s sanctions.

The highest ranking Chinese official to visit Australia in seven years, Li’s four-day trip offers the prospect of lucrative trade after Beijing lifted punitive measures against a string of major Australian exports.

China is by far Australia’s biggest trading partner, taking in nearly 30 percent of its exports last year including major commodities iron ore and coal.

Two-way trade reached Aus$327 billion ($216 billion) in 2023.

“Mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation” are key to growing China-Australia relations, Li said on his arrival in Adelaide on Saturday.

The premier recalled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fence-mending trip to Beijing last November, saying: “China-Australia relations were back on track after a period of twists and turns.”

Li is to visit winemakers in the famed Barossa region …