But China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the relationship had “seen positive changes” in recent times.
“China and Australia should gradually address each others’ legitimate concerns,” the Foreign Ministry quoted Wang as telling Wong on Tuesday evening.
The concession,which noted Australia’s concerns as well as China’s,is a departure from years of heated rhetoric that saw Beijing accuse Australia of treating it as an “adversary” or “threat,” while labelling it as the “deputy sheriff” of the United States in the region.
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China implemented trade strikes on $20 billion worth of Australian exports throughout 2020 and 2021,restricting imports of half-a-dozen items including coal,beef,wine and barley into China. Australian exporters say they are still struggling to access what was once their most profitable market.
Chinese officials also arrested two Chinese-Australians,writer Yang Hengjun and journalist Cheng Lei on charges that the Australian government believes are politically motivated. Both remain behind bars.
On Tuesday,the foreign ministers discussed trade and consular matters pointing to the major areas of dispute between the two countries. Wang was elevated to the Politburo at the 20th National Party Congress in Beijing in October,putting him in charge of implementing China’s foreign policy after the retirement of veteran Yang Jiechi,the 72-year-old who oversaw deepening animosity between China,the United States and its allies.