Exclusive | China-Australia relations: Premier Li Qiang’s planned Perth trip, with big business delegation in tow, reflects commitment to warmer ties
- Representatives from critical trade industries – including energy, mining and green tech – are slated to attend June 18 round-table gathering
- China’s biggest business delegation to Australia since 2017 is expected as ‘relations between Washington and Beijing have largely become zero-sum’
Accompanied by the biggest Chinese business delegation that China has taken down under in seven years, Premier Li Qiang will head to Australia next month amid warming ties between the countries, according to sources.
China’s No 2 political figure will be in Perth, a Western Australian city with strong business connections to China, on June 18 to participate in a round-table discussion with company representatives.
The dialogue is expected to comprise 15 delegates from various industries and sectors on both sides, including companies dealing in energy; mining and resources; as well as green technology and transitioning.
The round-table meeting, which was agreed to by President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing in November, will be hosted by the Business Council of Australia.
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The last such high-level bilateral trade and investment round-table meeting occurred in March 2017, in Sydney.
“Australian business leaders value the opportunity to meet with Premier Li,” said David Olsson, national president of the Australia China Business Council.
