Wed Sep 25 07:02:04 UTC 2024: ## Australia’s Treasurer Heads to China in Bid to Repair Strained Ties

**MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)** – In a significant step towards mending fractured bilateral relations, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers will embark on a two-day visit to China this week, marking the first such trip by an Australian government minister in seven years.

Chalmers will arrive in Beijing on Thursday, where he will co-chair the Australia-China Strategic Economic Dialogue with Zheng Shanjie, chair of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. The dialogue, last held in 2017, will focus on boosting trade and investment between the two nations and exploring opportunities for joint ventures.

“This is another really important step towards stabilizing our economic relationship with China,” Chalmers stated. “It will be part of the Albanese government’s methodical and coordinated efforts to reestablish dialogue with China, Australia’s largest trading partner.”

The visit comes amidst a gradual thaw in relations between Australia and China, which had plummeted in 2020 following the Morrison government’s call for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in China imposing trade restrictions on various Australian goods, costing exporters billions of dollars annually.

Since the election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022, most of these trade barriers have been lifted. Albanese himself visited China in November, becoming the first Australian Prime Minister to do so in seven years.

Despite the improving relations, Australia remains cautious about its reliance on China and is simultaneously pursuing closer economic ties with India. This week, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with his Australian counterpart to discuss progress on a new bilateral free trade agreement, further solidifying the two nations’ partnership.

This trip by Treasurer Chalmers signifies a continued commitment from Australia to strengthen its economic ties with China, a crucial player in the global market. However, it remains to be seen how far these efforts will go towards fully restoring the once close relationship between the two nations.

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