Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to continue reducing tariff barriers against Australian imports in order to play a productive role on the international stage. Despite some progress in reducing trade tariffs on products such as wine, barley, and meat, there are still points of contention. Senator Wong raised these concerns during a bilateral meeting with Wang in New York on September 25th. She specifically urged him to remove the remaining barriers against Australian rock lobster imports.
During her opening remarks, Wong emphasized that ignoring disagreements will not make them disappear and quoted a Chinese saying about finding solutions that work for both countries. She stressed the importance of China playing a productive role internationally.
According to economist Ben Herscovitch from the Australian National University, while there has been improvement in the relationship between Australia and China, it is now plateauing. Restrictions on live lobster and two red meat exporters remain contentious issues.
Herscovitch also expressed growing frustration and wariness regarding China’s honesty as a broker in repairing the relationship between the two countries. He warned that Beijing’s coercive trade policies could hinder its bid to join the trans-Pacific trading pact known as CPTPP.
Australia is set to become chair of CPTPP in 2025, but Herscovitch predicted that Beijing would face challenges gaining enough support from existing members due to concerns about its aggressive trade policies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that progress was being made regarding lobster trade between Australia and China. He emphasized the importance of China receiving high-quality Australian products.
China is Australia’s largest trading partner, accounting for 32.5 percent of total exports worldwide in 2023. It is also Australia’s top market for agriculture, resources, and services. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is currently visiting Beijing to discuss trade with Chinese counterparts and business leaders.
(Note: AAP contributed to this report.)
