AUSTRALIA: Xi Says Relations 'At New Starting Point' At Talks w/Albanese

(MNI) London - Wires carrying comments from Australian PM Anthony Albanese's office as he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The PM's office states that: "Australia has [an] interest in continued stable growth in [the] Chinese economy and its ongoing engagement with the world." Albanese to Xi, "A strong relationship between our two countries will be beneficial into the future. [...] Where differences arise, it's important that we have communication."

• Xi declared that Sino-Australian relations were at "a new starting point", and that “After taking office, you’ve been working to stabilise and improve relations with China. This shows the great importance you attach to relations with China,”
• Xi: “Now the China Australia relationship has embarked on the right path of improvement and development. I’m heartened to see that a healthy and stable China Australia relationship serves the common interests of our two countries.”
• Albanese's visit, the first to China by an Australian PM since 2016, is seen as an effort to bolster relations with Canberra's largest trading partner. The Labor PM faces a difficult task in treading the line between repairing links with Beijing while also maintaining its close security partnership with the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.