During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's first visit to Australia in more than seven years, a series of high-profile meetings with Australian officials and business leaders took place, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two countries. Wang Yi met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and was involved in closed-door discussions with Australian business leaders and policy experts. The meetings covered a broad range of topics including trade, human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and concerns about the South China Sea and Taiwan tensions. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating's meeting with Wang Yi drew criticism from various Australian political figures and business leaders, with some suggesting it could be seen as undermining current diplomatic efforts and described as a "diplomatic own-goal." The visit, which included a three-day tour of New Zealand and Australia, also featured discussions on defense arrangements, business interests, and diplomacy in the South Pacific. Wong's remarks highlighted that Keating "does not speak for the government nor the country," and she raised concerns about human rights and stated that Hong Kong reforms 'erode rights'. China urged Australian caution on 'third-party' disruption of the relationship, emphasizing that China-Australia relations are "back on the right track."
#BREAKING Australia told visiting China foreign minister that Hong Kong reforms 'erode rights', says official https://t.co/VBDWRm112h
China urges Australian caution on ‘third-party’ disruption of relationship https://t.co/orINF9dnWX
#China-#Australia relations are back on the right track, there should be no hesitation, no yawing and no turning back, and bilateral ties should move forward, which is in line with common interests of the two peoples and general expectations of regional countries, Chinese Foreign… https://t.co/XqXxWoLEYp
Top Australia, China diplomats meet to discuss trade, human rights - and pandas https://t.co/bOqQQUyzCi
#Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Canberra for talks. Wang's meeting with Albanese followed talks with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. According to Wong, during their meeting, she raised concerns about human rights,… https://t.co/UitkdExTho
These were the main topics of discussion in the high-profile meeting between Penny Wong and the Chinese foreign minister. https://t.co/jrJacXvKU8
Australia Gets Its Most Senior Chinese Leadership Visit Since 2017 as Relations Thaw Further https://t.co/9UZyjhLRxS
Australia is preparing for a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the country’s second-most senior leader, in a sign that relations between Canberra and Beijing weren’t upended by recent setbacks https://t.co/KddM1TMqhq
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s first trip to Australia in seven years is the latest sign of a tentative improvement in ties. Read today's Australia Briefing for your daily dose of the best of Bloomberg from Down Under and around the world. https://t.co/RN2ChkJpQM
🔴 AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN XINJIANG, TIBET, AND HONG KONG
Australian FM Penny Wong’s opening remarks as she meets with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. A classic “criticism sandwich”: — Begins warmly, welcomes trade progress — Then to the tough stuff, including restating the South China Sea comments that set Keating off — Ends warmly https://t.co/JybwUXQLlY https://t.co/zUp88LSAMS
Wong tells China: don’t accept gospel of Paul https://t.co/ZYs2x0AUax Senator Wong invited Mr Wang to attend a joint press conference with her after their closed-door meeting, but he declined. She will front the media alone, offering questions to both Australian and Chinese…
#BREAKING: China's Foreign Minister has been spotted on his way to the nation's capital. #9News https://t.co/mXW6qHdro2
Here’s Australian Foreign Minister @SenatorWong’s first response to Chinese FM Wang Yi’s meeting with Paul Keating. “He does not speak for the government nor the country,” the 🇦🇺FM told me and @bennpackham More here https://t.co/QSnLJMpqXG
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold closed door meetings with Australian business leaders and policy experts on Wednesday as part of his first visit to the country in more than seven years. https://t.co/sDtcsNIZCD
#China’s top diplomat will meet an outspoken Australian ex-prime minister who has criticized Canberra’s stance on Beijing, a move that threatens to overshadow efforts to improve troubled ties. #Australia https://t.co/WCTpRN7SuU
Australian business leaders to meet Chinese foreign minister https://t.co/jJdldsVtGi
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi kicked off a three-day tour of New Zealand and Australia on Monday. On the agenda: Wellington's defense arrangements, Canberra's business interests and diplomacy in the South Pacific. https://t.co/DHGkqJTVy0
Interesting how scathing many Australian business figures are about Chinese FM Wang Yi’s meeting with former Oz PM Paul Keating. One told me it was “the biggest Chinese diplomatic own-goal” since the infamous list of “14 demands”. More here: https://t.co/rQtceAQ1lW
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold closed door meetings with Australian business leaders and policy experts as part of his first visit to the country in more than seven years https://t.co/LxIJoSBCY3
Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham says the Chinese embassy meeting with former prime minister Paul Keating is “insulting” to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. https://t.co/jwhH8Y8YVk
Rio Tinto and BHP executives are expected to join the private event with China’s visiting foreign minister, even as business figures criticise Paul Keating’s meeting with Wang Yi. Read more: https://t.co/fy09BJdCtX https://t.co/H0GmYjbimH
Two former politicians have called for ex-prime minister Paul Keating to turn down a meeting with China’s foreign minister to avoid “being used”. https://t.co/luydN0P052
New Zealand raises South China Sea, Taiwan tensions with China during foreign minister's visit https://t.co/TtU8ojrq1K