WINE AND PANDAS
Australia has tightened its defence alliance with the United States as it seeks to parry Beijing’s expanding diplomatic and military influence on island states scattered around the Pacific region.
China describes the AUKUS security pact between Washington, London and Canberra — a deal that would equip Australia with nuclear-powered but conventionally armed submarines — as a divisive measure that raises nuclear proliferation risks.
In the most recent sign of military tensions, Australia accused China of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct after one of its warplanes allegedly fired flares in the path of a naval helicopter last month over the Yellow Sea.
Albanese has promised to tell Li the behaviour was “inappropriate”.
Canberra also reacted with “outrage” when a Beijing court handed down a suspended death sentence to Chinese-Australian dissident writer Yang Jun earlier this year.
But such disagreements are likely to be aired behind closed doors, Neelam said.
Instead, Li sets a friendlier tone on the first full day of his trip Sunday – visiting the famed Barossa winemaking region in Adelaide, hometown of Australia’s foreign minister, who is credited with helping stabilise relations with Beijing.
China’s tariffs had effectively blocked premium Australian wine exports, worth an estimated Aus$1 billion a year, until just three months ago.
First, though, Li will pop into Adelaide Zoo where giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been on loan from China since 2009.
Hopes are high that the pair – instruments of China’s so-called panda diplomacy – will be allowed to stay despite producing no offspring in their time together.
