: Well, thank you very much and firstly, a very warm welcome to Premier Li to Canberra. My visit to China last year was an important one for our relationship, so I’m very pleased to be returning the hospitality that I received in Beijing and Shanghai on a visit that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the recognition of relations between our two great nations. Premier Li is the first Chinese Premier to visit Australia since 2017. His visit is a substantial one, taking in three cities and touching on issues right across our relationship. We had a constructive discussion today at our Annual Leaders’ Meeting, building on our Annual Meeting last year in Beijing. My Government has put dialogue at the centre of Australia’s relationship with China because it is always most effective when we deal directly with each other. That’s how we make progress on our shared interests and protect regional stability. Without dialogue, we can’t address any of the differences that arise between us. Australia and China have renewed and revitalised our engagement. We’ve agreed across a range of MoUs and arrangements today that will continue to shape and drive our practical cooperation as we continue the process of stabilising the relationship. This includes a framework for us to work together to tackle climate change. Both our countries are undergoing energy transitions and investing in renewable energy. We will get better outcomes for our people if we work together and learn from each other as we make those important changes. We’ve agreed an MoU on education and research, building on a long shared history in this area, including through exchange of students. We’ve also agreed on several arrangements to deepen our economic, trade and investment relationship through dialogue on economic issues and work under our Free Trade Agreement. And we committed to deepening our cultural links. Trade supports one in four Australian jobs and China remains overwhelmingly Australia’s largest trading partner. Australian farmers, miners and exporters are already seeing the benefits from the removal of trade impediments, benefits that flow throughout our economy. Chinese consumers too are benefiting from being able to buy our high quality exports. Trade between our two nations will continue to help Australian businesses grow. Interest in the Adelaide Zoo will no doubt grow as well and I welcome Premier Li’s offer of new pandas, who I am sure will be good diplomats for China in South Australia and for the entire nation. China is, of course, a regional and global power. It has a vital role to play in keeping our region open, stable and prosperous. We also exchanged views today on our region and the world, building our understanding of our respective positions and perspectives. Australia advocates that we should all work together to promote a regional balance where no country dominates and no country is dominated. A region where countries large and small operate by the same rules, rules that we have all had a say in shaping. I’ve made it clear as nations with different histories, political systems and values, we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest. Premier Li, our discussions today have only strengthened my view that it’s crucial for us to engage with each other given how close we are geographically, how interconnected we are economically and the deep and enduring bonds between our people. As you know, I’m determined to keep growing our relationship where we can and that includes the personal relationship between us as leaders who we’ve now met not just in Australia and China, but in India and other countries on the sidelines of those international forums. As I mentioned in our meeting today, we have a lot to do and a lot to look forward to. I want to thank you for taking the time to travel here and see the breadth of our great country. I know you have been here before, but once again a very warm welcome to you here in Australia.
HIS EXCELLENCY LI QIANG, PREMIER OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: The Honourable Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, friends from the media, it gives me great pleasure to pay an Official Visit to Australia at the invitation of Prime Minister Albanese on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to Australia and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two countries and to have the 9th Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese. In less than one year, Prime Minister Albanese and I have met multiple times and exchanged visits to each other’s country. This shows that both countries attach great importance to our relationship and that this relationship is on the right track of steady improvement and development. Just now, Prime Minister Albanese and I had a candid, in depth and fruitful meeting and reached a lot of consensus. We both agreed to uphold the right characterisation of our bilateral relationship and consolidate its momentum of improvement and development. We reaffirmed our commitment to defining this relationship as a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, to mutual respect and trust and to viewing and handling this relationship in a positive attitude. The two sides agreed to maintain high level interactions, strengthen exchanges between the legislatures, government departments and political parties and fully resume various areas of institutional dialogue and bring their role into full play. We also had a candid exchange of views of some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We both stand for expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation and enhancing the vitality and durability of China-Australia relations. This relationship is essentially characterised by mutual benefit and results. The two sides just signed a number of cooperation documents on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. We will make good use of such dialogue mechanisms such as the Strategy Economic Dialogue, the joint Ministerial Economic Commission and the Free Trade Agreement Committee to address each other’s economic and trade concerns and provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment for our companies. We will leverage our respective strengths to expand cooperation in energy, mining, new energy vehicles, green development and digital economy. Both sides are committed to maintaining the WTO centred and multilateral rules-based trading system, jointly keep global industry supply chains stable, advancing the implementation of RCEP and promoting regional economic integration. China hopes that Australia will support Hong Kong’s RCEP accession. China welcomes Australia as the guest country of honour for the China International Fair for Trading Services 2025. We both support strengthening people-to-people ties and cement popular support for our bilateral relations. The two side will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, culture, sports, education, academia, aviation, health, tourism and at the sub-national level. China will continue its cooperation with Australia on giant panda conservation and research and will provide a pair of younger giant pandas to Adelaide Zoo so that they will continue to serve as a bridge of friendship between two peoples. The two sides will hold the 10th Meeting of the Joint Science and Technology Commission and the 8th high level dialogue in due course in Australia. We agreed to provide each other with reciprocal access to five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business and visiting family members so as to better facilitate personal exchanges. China will also include Australia in its visa waiver program. We both stress the importance of maintaining communication and coordination to jointly safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond, in order to safeguard regional peace and development which best serves the common interests of all countries. China and Australia will continue our coordination and cooperation at the United Nations, G20, APEC and other multilateral platforms. Both sides care about and support the development of Pacific island countries and will step up communication and dialogue to explore ways to better help development. The two sides will strengthen policy communication on climate change and will hold the 8th Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change in Australia this year. At present, China is striving for its modernisation in all respects through high quality development. A growing and more open China will bring more opportunities for win-win cooperation to Australia and the rest of the world. China will work with Australia in a spirit of mutual respect, seeking common ground while showing differences and mutual benefit to build a more mature, stable and fruitful Comprehensive Strategic Partnership so as to bring more benefits to our two peoples. Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you all.
