Premier Li Qiang will be the most senior Chinese leader to visit Australia in seven years when he touches down on Saturday, a diplomatic milestone that may be overshadowed by renewed frictions over investment and military deployments.
Li will travel to Adelaide, Canberra and Perth in a four-day tour, the Australian government said in a statement on Tuesday. He will be the first senior Chinese leader to visit Australia since his predecessor, Li Keqiang, last toured in March 2017.
"Welcoming the Chinese Premier to our shores is an opportunity for Australia to advance our interests by demonstrating our national values, our people’s qualities and our economy’s strengths,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.