Australia and China to restart dialogue after 3-year hiatus
The Australia-China High Level Dialogue will serve as a platform for talks on issues ranging from trade and investment to regional and international securityThe dialogue represents ‘another step towards increasing bilateral engagement’ and stabilising ties with China, says Australian Foreign Minister Penny WongAustraliaBloombergPublished: 3:47pm, 2 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
Australia and China will resume high-level government talks next week following a three-year hiatus, in a further step towards stabilising the relationship between the two nations.
The Australia-China High Level Dialogue will be held in Beijing on Thursday and serves as a platform for senior representatives from industry, government, academia and other areas to discuss issues ranging from trade and investment to regional and international security, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Saturday.
China’s former foreign minister Li Zhaoxing will co-chair and will lead the Chinese delegation, while former trade minister Craig Emerson will co-chair as head of the Australian delegation. Reflecting the bipartisan nature of the dialogue, former centre-right foreign minister Julie Bishop will also participate.
“This is the first time the Dialogue has been held since early 2020 and it represents another step towards increasing bilateral engagement and stabilising our relationship with China,” Wong said. “The resumption of the Dialogue was one of the outcomes of my meeting with China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing in December.”