The Australia-China High-level Dialogue to be held in Adelaide later this week will be the first on Australian shores in more than four years. The Dialogue’s resumption last September in Beijing signalled progress in the stabilisation of Australia’s relations with China. The Eighth Dialogue is an opportunity for further improvements in the Australia-China relationship.
Most of the trade barriers between our two countries have now been removed thanks to careful, consistent diplomacy on both sides.
The Eighth Dialogue, led on the Chinese side by Wang Chao, President of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, will broaden the bilateral conversation by including not only trade but also broader economic policy issues including the energy transition.
Among the Australian delegates will be the CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Darren Miller, and the CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia, Tania Constable. Australian production of green iron, for use in low-carbon production of Chinese goods, is but one example of the bilateral energy-transition opportunities of the future.
As trade minister, I released a joint food study with my Chinese counterpart in 2012 which encouraged two-way investment in agriculture, so it is good to have as Australian delegates the CEO of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Professor Wendy Umberger, and the Chair of CBH Group, Simon Stead.
Since last year’s Dialogue, China has removed tariffs and quarantine restrictions on most of the goods to which they had been applied in recent years, thanks to the purposeful work of trade minister, Don Farrell, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, other ministers and senior officials.
At the Dialogue, Chair of Wine Australia, Dr Michele Allan, will no doubt promote the Australian wine industry which has benefited greatly from the removal of China’s tariffs.
CEO of Seafood Industry Australia, Veronica Papacosta, will make the case for the removal of quarantine restrictions on Australian lobster.
The participation in the delegation of former foreign minister, Julie Bishop, who co-chaired the forum from 2014 to 2018 and will lead one of the Dialogue sessions, will add a level of bipartisanship to the Australian delegation.
The presence in the delegation of secretary of the department of foreign affairs and trade, Jan Adams, and Australia’s ambassador to China, Scott Dewar, will provide high-level official representation from the Australian side.
China’s delegation is expected to include China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian, China’s former Ambassador to the United States and Japan Cui Tiankai, and former Minister of the State Council’s Office for Overseas Chinese Affairs Dr Qiu Yuanping.
Since last year’s Dialogue, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has visited China and China’s premier Li Qiang has visited Australia. Both visits have created momentum for an improving relationship.
Australia has a strong interest in the global rules-based trading system presided over by the World Trade Organization and was a founder of APEC. Both have been under pressure in recent times, but our two countries can make a valuable contribution to returning to the systems that have underpinned our prosperity.
While in Beijing for the resumed Dialogue, and again in Australia earlier this year, I had the opportunity of productive discussions with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, concerning the restoration of the rules-based system and proposals for strengthening APEC.
Last year’s resumed Dialogue was conducted in a friendly and sometimes robust spirit. Strident diplomacy in isolation rarely works. Face-to-face discussion often does. All 20 Australian delegation members will be given an opportunity to speak at the Adelaide gathering.
Differences in national positions on geopolitical matters are bound to arise, but nothing is lost from discussing them.
The strategic partnership between Australia and China announced in April 2013 has laid the foundations for a stronger relationship between our countries. Led by Australia’s prime minister, Julia Gillard, we met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Boao Conference and signed the agreement with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
In 2014, President Xi announced the commencement of the High Level Dialogue during his visit to Australia. The relationship was sound and trade minister Andrew Robb soon finalised a free trade agreement with China.
But in the early 2020s relations deteriorated.
Visits to each other’s countries in 2023 by leaders, and the resumption of the High Level Dialogue, have helped stabilise the Australia-China relationship.
This week’s High Level Dialogue involving senior government officials and representatives of industry, academia and the arts is further testimony to an improving relationship.
Craig Emerson is co-chair of the Australia-China High level Dialogue. He was minister for trade 2010-2013. He is director of the APEC Study Centre at RMIT University, managing director of Emerson Economics and adjunct professor at Victoria University’s College of Business.