China And Australia Take Steps To Stabilise Relations

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20 ministerial in Bali, Indonesia.

• The meeting is the first foreign minister level meeting between the two countries in three years following a deterioration of relations during the premiership of former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
• According to Reuters, Wong said the meeting was "a first step towards stabilising the relationship" but "trade blockages" would take time to resolve.
• Wong continued that it is in Australia's "national security best interests" for the relationship to be stabilised.
• China, Australia's largest trading partner, imposed sanctions on Australian exports in response to Australian calls for an investigation into China's role in COVID-19 and a Huawei 5G ban.
• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made steps to repair another fractured relationship when he met with French President Emmanuel Macron last month and agreed to pay reparations for the withdrawal of the previous Australian administration from a submarine contract.