Zhao Leji on Australia

Zhao Leji, in his capacity as Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, articulated China's readiness to foster a more mature, stable, and productive comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia during a November 2025 official visit. He noted that relations had returned to a stable and positive development track, supported by resumed dialogue and cooperation across various fields, which was widely welcomed by people in both nations. He stressed that the economic advantages of the two nations are highly complementary and that the foundation for practical cooperation is solid with broad prospects, underscoring a desire to deepen exchanges in areas like energy, mineral resources, and technological innovation.

During discussions, he emphasized that there is no fundamental conflict of interests between the two countries, reinforcing China's commitment to peaceful development and high-level opening-up. However, he also used the opportunity to reiterate Beijing's firm position on core interests, expressing the hope that Australia would understand and respect China's stance on issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xizang, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea. Furthermore, he sought to solidify institutional ties by expressing the willingness of the Chinese legislature to work with the Australian Parliament to provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation and enhance mutual learning on foreign-related legislation.