Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is visiting China to strengthen economic ties and cooperation between the two nations. This marks his second trip to China since taking office in 2022 and his first since his re-election in May.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted that Albanese’s visit comes as the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership enters its second decade. “China hopes that through this visit, the two sides will strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and further advance the comprehensive strategic partnership,” Mao said.
Albanese’s itinerary includes visits to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province. He is leading a delegation of business leaders from key sectors such as finance, mining, and steel, aiming to build on Australia’s strong economic and trade links with the Chinese mainland.
Strengthening Economic Ties
Economic and trade cooperation are at the heart of Albanese’s visit. Australia and the Chinese mainland have a deep trading relationship, with China being Australia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in 2015, has significantly boosted trade, with total trade volume surpassing $210 billion in 2024.
Albanese emphasized the importance of this relationship, stating, “China is an important trading partner for Australia; 25 percent of our exports go to China. What that means is jobs, and one of the things that my government prioritizes is jobs.”
The economic ties between the two countries have benefited Australian households and created nearly 600,000 jobs, according to a report from the Australia China Business Council. The partnership serves as a stabilizing force for bilateral relations and continues to drive trade and economic growth.
Deepening Cooperation
Beyond trade, both countries are eager to expand cooperation in areas like clean energy and the green economy. With a growing focus on climate change, sectors such as wind power, solar energy, and lithium mining hold significant potential for collaboration.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, wrote that “China-Australia mutually beneficial cooperation continues to deepen, with expanding collaboration in clean energy, climate change, and healthcare, offering vast prospects and potential.”
Experts like Caroline Wang from Clean Energy Finance highlight that China’s advancements in electric vehicles and solar panels can aid Australia in meeting its emission reduction targets and building green industrial capacity.
The visit also aims to boost people-to-people exchanges. China remains Australia’s largest source of international students and overseas tourists. Recent visa agreements are set to further facilitate bilateral exchanges.
Ambassador Xiao emphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy and stable relationship between the Chinese mainland and Australia. He affirmed that China will work with Australia to build a more stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership, based on mutual respect and equality. “This will benefit both nations and inject greater stability and certainty into the region and the world,” he said.
