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Australia's Albanese, China's Li hold talks on trade, rights

Australia and China will take actions to improve military interaction to avoid incidents, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated after meeting Premier Li Qiang on Monday, in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years.

The visit by Li, China's top-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, marks a stabilisation in relations in between the U.S. security ally and the world's second-biggest economy, after a. frosty period of Beijing blocking $20 billion in Australian. exports and friction over defence encounters.

One of the really useful measures that we spoke about was. improving military to military interaction so as to prevent. occurrences, Albanese informed reporters in Canberra after the. conference.

In an event last month, a Chinese airforce jet dropped. flares near an Australian defence helicopter in international. airspace over the Yellow Sea, which Australia stated was a. unsafe encounter.

It was the second defence incident in six months to mar. growing rapprochement in between the 2 countries after years of. stretched relations.

Albanese informed press reporters he had actually raised our problems in the. Pacific, a recommendation to Canberra's issue over Beijing's. growing security aspirations in nearby Pacific Islands, as well as. the case of China-born Australian author Yang Hengjun, who was. handed a suspended death sentence by a Beijing court.

Beginning with some panda and wine diplomacy on Sunday, Li. is on a four-day see.

This dialogue has actually enabled us to develop a deeper awareness of. our respective interests, Albanese stated earlier, keeping in mind. Australia and China had complementary economies and shared. interests in addressing environment change.

Li informed press reporters the leaders held a honest, thorough and. fruitful meeting and reached a lot of consensus.

The 2 countries would broaden cooperation in energy and. mining, and China would consist of Australia in its visa waiver. programme, he included.

We both worried the significance of preserving. communication and coordination to jointly secure peace and. success in the area and beyond, he stated.

PROTESTERS, SUPPORTERS GATHER

Protesters and fans collected on Monday morning on the. lawn outside parliament home in Canberra, where there was a. heavy authorities existence.

Barricades separated Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong and Falun. Gong protesters from a large contingent of pro-China advocates.

Tibetan Tenzin Wougyal, 37, a Canberra local, stated he. concerned show Tibet's culture, faith and language are at risk.

Australia ought to beware about what it is doing-- do not. sacrifice human rights for short-term economic business, he. stated.

Tan Zhu, 50, stated he travelled from Sydney to welcome Li to. Canberra.

The relationship with Australia has actually ended up being better. That's really favorable, he said.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was jailed for three. years in Beijing on nationwide security charges till her release. in October, was amongst media covering the conference.

Chinese officials appeared to block her from video camera view by. standing in front of her, video footage on numerous Australian. media outlets revealed. Maybe they didn't want that for the. domestic audience, Cheng informed Sky News Australia, where she is. a presenter.

China's embassy did not react to a request for remark. on the incident. Albanese stated he had not seen it, but later on informed. reporters it was important that people be enabled to. get involved totally and that's what must happen in this building. or anywhere else in Australia.

Trade in between Australia and China reached A$ 327 billion. ($ 216 billion) last year as Beijing's trade obstructs eased.

On Tuesday the 2 leaders will hold a company roundtable. in the mining state of Western Australia. Australia is the. greatest provider of iron ore to China and China has actually been an. financier in Australian mining projects.

Li's check out raises the concern of whether Australia will. continue to accept high levels of Chinese financial investment in its. vital minerals sector, as Western security allies press to. lower reliance on Beijing for the uncommon earths important to electric. vehicles. Australia last month blocked several Chinese investors. from increasing stakes in a rare earths miner on nationwide. interest grounds.

It is hoped that the Australian side will provide a reasonable,. simply and non-discriminatory service environment for Chinese. enterprises, Li stated in remarks reported by Xinhua.

(source: Reuters)