{
  "id": 17191789,
  "title": "Australian PM to visit Beijing after China-hosted Apec summit as tensions simmer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/australian-pm-to-visit-beijing-after-china-hosted-apec-summit-as",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T07:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372671/australian-pm-visit-beijing-after-china-hosted-apec-summit-tensions-simmer"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to embark on a trip to Beijing next month, aiming to strengthen the relationship that has stabilized after years of trade disputes but has become turbulent due to geopolitical tensions. Sources revealed to the South China Morning Post that Albanese would kick off his journey by attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit in Shenzhen from November 18 to 19, before heading to the Chinese capital. This would be Albanese's third visit to Beijing since taking office in 2022, and his first since July of last year. The relationship between Australia and China has faced various challenges over the years, including Australia's decision to ban Huawei Technologies from its 5G networks in 2018 and the implementation of a foreign interference law aimed at countering Beijing's influence in domestic affairs. Relations hit a low point in 2020 when Australia called for an independent international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19, prompting Beijing to impose restrictions on major Australian exports such as coal, barley, and wine. Following his election in 2022, Albanese's government attempted to mend ties with Beijing, resuming high-level dialogue that had been dormant for years. Albanese's meeting with President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Bali in November 2022 marked the first conversations between the two leaders since 2016. He made his initial visit to Beijing as prime minister in 2023. Despite the trade restrictions being lifted by the end of 2024, tensions have persisted. Both sides have accused each other of close and dangerous encounters of military planes over the South China Sea, and Beijing has expanded its naval operations in the waters near Australia. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles recently attributed the creation of a \"condition of pressure\" in Southeast Asia to China's military build-up, emphasizing that allies in the region should enhance cooperation to address the challenges. During Albanese's most recent visit to Beijing in July 2025, he met with Xi and other senior Chinese officials. The prime minister's office stated that maintaining a \"patient, calibrated, and deliberate\" approach to the Australia-China relationship is vital for Australia's future prosperity and security. Albanese noted that dialogue is essential for a stable and constructive relationship. Xi acknowledged at the time that relations had \"emerged from a low point and regained positive momentum\" and called for mutual trust and deeper cooperation between the two nations. This month, China's ambassador to Australia, Liu Jinsong, urged for stronger business ties between the countries, deeming economic and trade cooperation the \"ballast\" of China-Australia relations. He stated, \"The current stabilization and recovery of China-Australia relations is hard-won. At this pivotal moment of once-in-a-century transformations, the great ship of China-Australia relations must navigate the wind and waves, and the ballast must be made more solid and ever more stable.\"",
  "summary": "Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to travel to Beijing next month as Canberra seeks to deepen a relationship which stabilised after years of trade disputes but has been recently complicated by geopolitical tensions. Sources told the South China Morning Post that Albanese would first attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit in Shenzhen, which runs…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}