Latest news with #regional security
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia and China: Trade flows and security tensions shape ties
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Shanghai on Saturday for a six-day visit to three Chinese cities where regional security tensions and economic ties are likely to dominate talks. Albanese's second visit to China, where he will meet President Xi Jinping, comes after Canberra stepped up screening of Chinese investment in critical minerals and as U.S. President Donald Trump rattles the global economy with sweeping import tariffs. Here is a timeline of relations between Australia and China over recent years: Nov 17, 2014 - Australia sealed a landmark free trade agreement with top trade partner China, concluding a decade of negotiations. It comes into effect in late 2015. Dec 5, 2017 - Australia, concerned about Chinese influence, announces a ban on foreign political donations to prevent external interference in its politics. Aug 23, 2018 - Australia bans Huawei Technologies from supplying equipment for its planned 5G broadband network, citing national security regulations. Apr 2020 - Australia seeks support for an international inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. China's then ambassador to Australia says that in response to the call, the Chinese public would boycott Australian wine, beef and tourism. Jun 9, 2020 - China urges students going overseas to think carefully before choosing Australia, citing racist incidents, threatening a $27.5 billion market for educating foreign students. Aug 2020 - Australian citizen Cheng Lei, a business anchor for Chinese state television in Beijing, is detained. Nov 27, 2020 - China announces temporary anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine. Shipments of Australian live lobsters, timber and barley are also blocked or restricted around this time. China's embassy lists 14 grievances with Australia, including the blocking of 10 Chinese investments on national security grounds. May 22, 2022 - Australia's Labor Party, led by Albanese, wins the general election ending almost a decade of conservative rule. Nov 15, 2022 - Albanese meets Xi on the sidelines of the G20 in Indonesia. It is the first leaders' meeting since 2016. Jan 3, 2023 - China allows three government-backed utilities and its top steelmaker to resume coal imports from Australia. Aug 5, 2023 - China ends 80.5% tariffs on Australian barley. Oct 11, 2023 - China releases Australian journalist Cheng Lei after three years in a Beijing prison on national security charges. Oct 22, 2023 - China agrees to review dumping tariffs of 218% on Australian wine. Australia pauses WTO complaint. Nov 6-7, 2023 - Visiting Beijing, Albanese tells Xi and Premier Li Qiang that a strong relationship between the two countries was "beneficial into the future". Xi says stable bilateral ties served each other's interests and both countries should expand their cooperation. Jan 18, 2024 - Australia rejects comments by China's ambassador seeking to deflect blame from China's navy for the injury of Australian military divers in an incident near Japan in November. Feb 5, 2024 - A Beijing court hands Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence, five years after he was first detained in China and three years after a closed-door trial on espionage charges. Mar 29, 2024 - China lifts tariffs on Australian wine, triggering a surge in imports. Dec 3, 2024 - China lifts final restrictions on Australian beef. Dec 12, 2024 - Australia strikes rugby league funding deal with Papua New Guinea that is contingent on its Pacific Islands neighbour rejecting security or policing ties with China. Dec 26, 2024 - China resumes imports of Australian lobster. Feb 21, 2025 - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong raises concerns with Chinese counterpart over inadequate notice given by the Chinese navy of a live-fire exercise in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights. May 3, 2025 - Albanese's Labor government is re-elected for a second term in national elections.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trade trumps geopolitics as Australia PM visits China
Australia's leader Anthony Albanese will visit China and meet with President Xi Jinping this weekend as he seeks to strengthen ties with Canberra's largest trading partner. Regional security and trade will take centre stage during the prime minister's six-day trip spanning three cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. "My government will continue to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest," Albanese said in a statement. The trip marks Albanese's second official visit to China - but the first since his re-election in May. It comes as countries around the world navigate US president Donald Trump's "America First" policies including tariffs. China accounts for nearly a third of Australia's total trade and "will remain so for the foreseeable future", Albanese said. "The relationship in China means jobs in Australia. It's as simple as that," he told reporters on Friday. Albanese, whose Labor Party government was re-elected with an increased majority in May, had pledged among other things to create more jobs and bring back manufacturing in Australia. Analysts say this trip signals a stabilisation of ties between Australia and China, even as Beijing has been trying to extend its military reach across the Pacific to some protest by Australia. Last month, Australia's defence minister Richard Marles called on China to explain why it needs to have "such an extraordinary military build-up". A rare Chinese military drill in the Tasman sea in February was also called "unusual" by Marles. "Both sides recognise their differences... [and] agree those differences should not define the relationship," says James Laurenceson, director of Australia-China Relations Institute. The two countries are not seeking geopolitical alignment, he said. "They need to keep the politics stable and constructive so that other parts of the relationship, like businesses, cultural organisations, universities and so on can forge ahead with engagement in their own areas." Mr Laurenceson notes, however, that Washington "will not be pleased" with Albanese's visit. But the prime minister has domestic support for this, he says. "Washington is heading in a direction so plainly contrary to Australia's interests that any [leader] seen as kowtowing to the White House would face pushback at home," he says. Beijing will continue to criticise Australia's involvement in the Aukus submarine deal with its longstanding allies, the UK and the US, observers tell the BBC, while Canberra will reiterate its commitment to the pact - even as Trump's administration has recently put the agreement under review. But disagreements over issues like Aukus will not thwart Australia's and China's relationship significantly, the observers say. And neither will other contentious topics Albanese may bring up - including China's actions in the South China Sea and the case of Australian novelist Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed and handed a suspended death sentence by Beijing on espionage charges which he denies. "This is part of a broader, understated and mature diplomacy from the current government and it does not fall into the recriminations of previous years," says Bryce Wakefield, who leads the Australian Institute for International Studies. Albanese's delegation to China includes top executives from Macquarie Bank and the Australian arm of HSBC, as well as mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue, according to the Australian Financial Review. Albanese had cited green energy among the areas that Australia and China can "further engage" on. While in China, the prime minister will also meet with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People' Congress. China's state newspaper Global Times says Albanese's visit "carries special significance" and shows "Australia's desire to seek more reliable partners in an uncertain world order... with China being the obvious choice". In November 2023, Albanese became the first Australian leader visit China in seven years - ending a hiatus triggered by a string of disputes including various Chinese sanctions on Australian goods, and back and forth accusations of foreign interference. Since then, his administration has managed to stabilise ties with Beijing and negotiate the end of a series of brutal tariffs.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Anthony Albanese: Trade trumps geopolitics as Australia PM visits China
Australia's leader Anthony Albanese will visit China and meet with President Xi Jinping this weekend as he seeks to strengthen ties with Canberra's largest trading security and trade will take centre stage during the prime minister's six-day trip spanning three cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. "My government will continue to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest," Albanese said in a trip marks Albanese's second official visit to China - but the first since his re-election in May. It comes as countries around the world navigate US president Donald Trump's "America First" policies including tariffs. China accounts for nearly a third of Australia's total trade and "will remain so for the foreseeable future", Albanese said."The relationship in China means jobs in Australia. It's as simple as that," he told reporters on whose Labor Party government was re-elected with an increased majority in May, had pledged among other things to create more jobs and bring back manufacturing in say this trip signals a stabilisation of ties between Australia and China, even as Beijing has been trying to extend its military reach across the Pacific to some protest by Australia. Last month, Australia's defence minister Richard Marles called on China to explain why it needs to have "such an extraordinary military build-up".A rare Chinese military drill in the Tasman sea in February was also called "unusual" by Marles. "Both sides recognise their differences... [and] agree those differences should not define the relationship," says James Laurenceson, director of Australia-China Relations two countries are not seeking geopolitical alignment, he said. "They need to keep the politics stable and constructive so that other parts of the relationship, like businesses, cultural organisations, universities and so on can forge ahead with engagement in their own areas."Mr Laurenceson notes, however, that Washington "will not be pleased" with Albanese's visit. But the prime minister has domestic support for this, he says."Washington is heading in a direction so plainly contrary to Australia's interests that any [leader] seen as kowtowing to the White House would face pushback at home," he will continue to criticise Australia's involvement in the Aukus submarine deal with its longstanding allies, the UK and the US, observers tell the BBC, while Canberra will reiterate its commitment to the pact - even as Trump's administration has recently put the agreement under review. But disagreements over issues like Aukus will not thwart Australia's and China's relationship significantly, the observers say. And neither will other contentious topics Albanese may bring up - including China's actions in the South China Sea and the case of Australian novelist Yang Hengjun, who has been jailed and handed a suspended death sentence by Beijing on espionage charges which he denies."This is part of a broader, understated and mature diplomacy from the current government and it does not fall into the recriminations of previous years," says Bryce Wakefield, who leads the Australian Institute for International delegation to China includes top executives from Macquarie Bank and the Australian arm of HSBC, as well as mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue, according to the Australian Financial had cited green energy among the areas that Australia and China can "further engage" in China, the prime minister will also meet with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People' state newspaper Global Times says Albanese's visit "carries special significance" and shows "Australia's desire to seek more reliable partners in an uncertain world order... with China being the obvious choice". In November 2023, Albanese became the first Australian leader visit China in seven years - ending a hiatus triggered by a string of disputes including various Chinese sanctions on Australian goods, and back and forth accusations of foreign then, his administration has managed to stabilise ties with Beijing and negotiate the end of a series of brutal tariffs.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's push for Israel-Syria peace gets major backing as activist brings message to Jerusalem
FIRST ON FOX – In a rare appearance at Israel's parliament this week, Syrian political activist Shadi Martini shared a message from Damascus – one he says came directly from Syria's transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa. "We have an opportunity like this only once in a hundred years," Martini quoted al-Sharaa as saying in a recent meeting held in the presidential palace. "The window will not remain open forever." In an interview with Fox News Digital, Martini, the CEO of Multifaith Alliance and longtime advocate for humanitarian cooperation between Syrians and Israelis, said the conversation with al-Sharaa focused on potential normalization and regional security – but also revealed points of friction. He also confirmed that President al-Sharaa knew his message might be conveyed in Israel. "It wasn't off the record. It was honest and accurate – and the message was, 'Act now.'" "We talked a lot about Israel," Martini said of the Damascus meeting, which occurred just after Eid al-Adha in June and days before renewed Israeli airstrikes inside Syria. "There was a lot of concern about Israeli incursions in Syrian territory. And the president made clear – how can we talk about a peace deal while that continues?" Still, Martini emerged from the discussion hopeful. "I definitely felt there was an opportunity," he said. "It's not just about al-Sharaa personally wanting this – there's growing recognition across Syria that if we want investment, if we want prosperity, if we want stability, something has to change." That same message was delivered this week to Israeli lawmakers at a first-of-its-kind regional security caucus committee meeting led by members of the Knesset. Martini, once the director of a hospital in Aleppo who escaped to the U.S. when the war in Syria broke out in 2012, addressed the body alongside a Saudi analyst and Israeli officials, signaling what he called a "historic" moment. "Syria is watching Saudi Arabia closely," he said, referencing Riyadh's signals of openness to ties with Israel under certain conditions. "Both countries are looking at the economic opportunity – what President Donald Trump is offering for the region – and wondering if Israel will seize it. Because if not, that prosperity might bypass." Speculation about a potential U.S.-brokered agreement between Syria and Israel has been circulating in the media this week, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met twice with President Trump at the White House. Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, "President Trump welcomes any effort toward a greater peace in the Middle East and around the world." When asked Wednesday morning by FOX Business Global Markets Editor and anchor Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria" whether he is currently working on a non-aggression pact with Syria, Netanyahu responded carefully: "I think there are opportunities now," he said. "You remember President Wilson used to say, 'I believe in open covenants openly arrived at.' I have a slight variation: I believe in open covenants secretly arrived at. "So whatever we can do in diplomacy, I think we should do discreetly – and then surprise people. We worked for three years on the Abraham Accords, and then all of a sudden we surprised people with four peace treaties. And I think more are coming." Martini stressed that al-Sharra said some issues remain unresolved. "There's Gaza, there's the need for a ceasefire, and a pathway to a Palestinian state," he said. "And from Syria's side, there's the issue of the Golan Heights. But the first and most important step is returning to the 1974 armistice line." Martini acknowledged that calls for peace with Israel remain controversial in Damascus. "There are extremists in the government," he said. "But more Syrians now understand this is what Syria needs." According to Martini, Israeli lawmakers responded positively. "I felt they were genuinely listening," he said. "And I hope that having a message come directly from Syria will help clarify things."
