In what was widely viewed as a diplomatic success, China and Australia agreed this week to put bygones behind them and improve economic, diplomatic and trade relations, which had soured in recent years.
But as the two sides work to stabilize ties, questions remain as to whether Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s four-day visit to China through Tuesday and his emphasis on greater communication with Beijing will be enough to also help ease mounting security tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Following a meeting in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Albanese — who became the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016 — said that “a strong relationship” between the two countries would be “beneficial into the future.”