Chinese envoy says ties with Australia must be mended

10/8/2022 13:25

        China's ambassador to Australia said that more needed to be done to reset relations between Canberra and Beijing and that the two nations were not at the stage of solving political and trade disputes.
        
        Speaking to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, China's ambassador, Xiao Qian, also said there had been no meeting between leaders from the two trading partners in recent years because Beijing believed a face-to-face meeting could worsen strained ties.
        
        China is Australia's largest trading partner and the biggest customer for its iron ore.
        
        Beijing imposed trade sanctions on Australian products ranging from coal to seafood and wine in response to policies and decisions such as Australia's call for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and its 5G network ban on Huawei.
        
        Australia and China's foreign ministers met for the first time in three years last month on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Bali, after the election of a Labor government.