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China-Australia relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Revived China-Australia defence talks a step in the right direction: analysts

  • Military officials from both countries meet face-to-face for the first time in several years
  • Beijing needs to ramp up contact after the isolation of the Covid pandemic, observer says

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Defence officials from Australia and China met this month for talks for the first time since 2019. Photo: Shutterstock
Kristin Huang
China and Australia have moved a step away from their testy relations with the first defence talks in four years but there is still some fence-mending to do, according to analysts.
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Defence officials from both countries met for a half-day meeting in Canberra on Wednesday, with a “frank exchange of opinions on regional and international issues of mutual interest”, the Chinese defence ministry said.

The ministry said the meeting improved mutual understanding and was conducive to the healthy and stable development of the relationship between the two militaries.

The Australian Department of Defence said “the dialogue was conducted in a professional atmosphere, with both sides exchanging views on regional security issues”, Reuters reported.

It was the first formal meeting held between the two militaries since 2019, when relations deteriorated over human rights, the origins of the Covid-19 virus and trade.

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Conditions improved last year with a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Bali, the first between two countries’ top politicians in five years.
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