To the president and the people of the People's Republic
of China. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised a
toast to Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday marking a
stabilization in relations between the US security ally and the
world's second biggest economy. The visit to Australia by
Le China's top ranked official after President Xi Jinping is
the first by a Chinese premier in seven years and
comes after a frosty period of Beijing, blocking$20
billion in Australian exports and friction over two defense encounters
in the last six months. Albanese said after the
pair's meeting on Monday, the countries will take steps
to improve military communication. He told reporters he had
raised our issues in the Pacific. A reference to
Canberra's concern over Beijing's growing security ambitions in nearby Pacific
Islands. 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. Li said
the two countries would expand co-operation in energy and mining
and China would include Australia in its visa waiver program
just now, Prime Minister Albanese and I had a
candid in depth and fruitful meeting and reached a lot
of consensuses. Ah We both agreed to uphold the
right characterization of our bilateral relationship and consolidate its momentum
of improvement and development. We reaffirm 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. As Lee arrived in
Canberra on Monday morning, protesters and supporters gathered on
the lawn outside parliament house where there was a heavy
police presence. The Chinese Premier's four day visit will
include a business roundtable in the iron ore mining state
of Western Australia. Australia is the biggest supplier of
iron ore to China and China has invested in Australian
mining projects. The visit spotlights whether Australia will continue
to accept high levels of Chinese investment in its critical
minerals sector as Western security allies push to reduce reliance
on Beijing for the rare earths vital to electric vehicles --> .