Australia’s Albanese confirms China visit as Beijing eyes trade deal review

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SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that he would visit China from this weekend as Beijing looks to build on partnerships on AI, green energy and the digital economy.

“I look forward to going to Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, which I will visit from Saturday,” Albanese told reporters in Hobart. He did not give more details about his trip.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that Albanese will be visiting the country from July 12 to 18.

“China is willing to work with Australia to take this visit as an opportunity to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and expand practical cooperation,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference.

This would be Albanese’s second visit to China as prime minister, after his re-election in May.

Albanese’s first visit to Beijing as prime minister in 2023 broke a seven-year freeze in diplomatic ties, and he emphasised the need for communication with China, despite differences between the two trading partners.

Albanese’s trip comes as China, its largest trading partner, suggested a review of the 10-year-old free trade agreement between the two countries to boost ties in agriculture and mining, and explore growth areas in new technologies.

“We are willing to review the agreement with a more open attitude and higher standard,” Xiao Qian, the Chinese ambassador to Australia, wrote in The Australian Financial Review on Monday.

When asked if Australia would look to expand the free trade deal with China to include AI, Albanese said: “We will determine our policy”.

(Reporting by Renju Jose and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by Mei Mei Chu in Beijing; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Himani Sarkar)