Australia’s Albanese discusses US minerals deal with China’s Premier Li
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a “positive” bilateral meeting on Monday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ summit, where they discussed Australia’s critical-minerals deal with the United States.
“Once again, it was a positive meeting,” Albanese told reporters of his seventh meeting with Li.
“This is a relationship that has improved; that is stabilising,” Albanese added.
China has removed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers since Albanese’s center-left government was first elected in 2022.
Albanese said he and Li had discussed the Australian leader’s visit to the U.S. last week during which he and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a $8.5 billion critical minerals deal.
The U.S. is eyeing Australia’s rich rare earth resources at a time when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals abroad.
“We talked about the relationship with the U.S. I clearly have indicated the success of my visit to the United States and we talked in a common way about that it was a good thing that President Trump and President Xi (Jinping) are having a meeting over the next little period,” Albanese said.
Albanese did not directly answer when a reporter asked if Li had expressed an opinion on the U.S.-Australia minerals pact.
China’s Xinhua news agency reported Li told Albanese China hoped Australia will provide an open, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in the country.
China was also willing to cooperate with Australia on the green economy, high-tech industries and the digital sector, Li said.
