Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that she will push China to lift trade sanctions during her trip to Beijing. Ms Wong is also expected to request consular access to two detained Australians during the visit, which is seen as a step in repairing strained diplomatic ties between Beijing and Canberra.
However, during a media briefing in the Australian capital, Ms Wong attempted to dampen expectations of an immediate breakthrough.
She said: “Many of the hard issues in the relationship will take time to resolve in our interests.
“This will take time, but I do see this visit as another step in the road.”
Ms Wong is set to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday in what will be the first visit by an Australian minister since 2019.
It also marks the first formal talks in Beijing between diplomats from the two nations since 2018.
Relations between the two countries…
