Anthony Albanese's Xi meet plays well in Chinese state media
The Global Times is a leading English-language propaganda mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Doing its best to imitate a Western-style publication, it is often used to circulate the CCP's various pet peeves and routinely takes scathing shots at Australia.
But the Chinese government tabloid had only good things to say after the Prime Minister's meet with Xi Jinping and other party top brass.
An 'opinion' piece published on Wednesday said the meetings 'set the tone for steady progress in bilateral ties while keeping external disruptions at bay' — a swipe at the US.
'The turnaround in China-Australia relations reflects the genuine expectations of both peoples,' the unattributed piece said.
'It also demonstrates that China and Australia are opportunities for each other's development – and highlights the strong appeal of China's vast market, the resilience of its economic growth, and the certainty of its continued commitment to opening up.'
It acknowledged but glossed over sore spots in the relationship, such as the Port of Darwin.
Mr Albanese vowed during the election to break the 99-year lease to Chinese logistics giant
Landbridge Holdings.
The Global Times previously described the pledge as a 'drastic step' and 'ethically questionable'.
Mr Albanese also said after meeting Mr Xi that the Chinese leader did not raise the port, suggesting it may have dropped off Beijing's top-tier grievances.
'Of course, compared with the 'minefields' status described by the Global Times editorial three years ago, today's China-Australia relationship is like a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone, and the most turbulent and bumpy period has passed,' the opinion piece said.
The Chinese have waged a charm offensive on Mr Albanese's six-day trip, with officials and business leaders wooing him in the glitz of central Shanghai before his high-level talks in Beijing.
He has in turn spruiked Australia's trade and tourism offerings.
Though, despite best efforts on both sides to keep things positive, chasmic differences remain.
Against a backdrop of China's rapid military build-up, Mr Albanese has kept firmly to his mantra of co-operating where 'we can' and disagreeing where 'we must'.
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