China and Australia trade ministers have ‘candid’ talks in Beijing

Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell meets with representatives of the Australian business community in China at the Australian embassy in Beijing, China on May 11, 2023. - Reuters

SYDNEY/BEIJING, May 14 (Bloomberg): China and Australia’s trade ministers held their first in-person economic dialog since 2019 on Friday, with both sides pushing to resolve some of the areas of dispute that had poisoned relations.

"I am very confident that as a result of this face-to-face discussion today that we are well on track to getting a stable, normal relationship with China,” Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell told reporters after a meeting and dinner with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.