Albo meets Xi Jinping
The Chinese President, smiling, greeted his Australian guest in the East Hall - one of the many spacious ornate chambers in the Great Hall of the People.
With the Australian and Chinese national flags adorning the walls, it was a welcome befitting the charm offensive waged on the Prime Minister since landing over the weekend.
The leaders seated opposite a long polished table, Mr Xi praised Mr Albanese for fostering stronger ties.
He pointed to past meetings as 'in depth discussions on the strategic overarching issues critical to the direction of China-Australia relations'
'And we've reached many common understandings with efforts from both sides,' Mr Xi said.
'The most important thing we can learn from this is that a commitment to equal treatment, to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial co-operation, for our countries and peoples.'
Mr Albanese said he was looking forward to a 'productive conversation'.
He said: 'Australia values our relationship with China, and we'll continue to approach it in a calm and consistent manner guided by our national interest.
'It is in our national interest, and indeed, in the interest of the region as well.
'It is important that we have these direct discussions on issues that matter to us, and to the stability and prosperity of our region.
'As you and I have agreed previously, dialogue needs to be at the centre of our relationship, and I welcome the opportunity to set out Australia's views and interests and our thinking on how we can maintain peace, security, stability and prosperity in our region.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a six-day trip to China where he will meet with leaders, business chiefs and tourism operators. Supplied/PMO Credit: Supplied
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Albanese had been careful not to pre-empt how his meeting with the world's second-most powerful leader would go.
He had a cruisey first leg of his state visit spruiking Australia's economic offerings and being wooed by Chinese officials and business leaders in the glitzy beauty of central Shanghai.
But differences remain and both sides have indicated they will raise them despite efforts to keep things positive.
The Chinese have already indicated they will raise the Port of Darwin, which is leased to Chinese logistics giant Landbridge Holdings.
A former state media propagandist-turned influencer warned of 'countermeasures' if the Albanese government follows through with its election vow to break the 99-year lease.
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Sonk was a VIP guest of the NRL in Australia when the new team was announced and gave interviews to Australian reporters claiming the new franchise would sign up one million members, or more than the rest of the competition teams combined. One league reporter wrote that the PNG NRL deal had transformed Sonk into 'one of the game's most powerful figures'. Sonk is one of seven directors variously nominated by the ARL commission and PNG government to the board that will oversee the addition of a new team to the NRL competition in 2028. V'landys said Sonk was among the selections of the PNG government, while the commission's nominations included chairman and Canterbury Bulldogs powerbroker Ray Dib. He said the commission conducted background checks on nominated directors. 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The Australian government's bankrolling of rugby league in the Pacific has alarmed rugby union chiefs in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, who have formed new links with China amid concerns that their national game could be cannibalised by a foreign taxpayer-backed rival code.
