Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has kicked off his second official visit to China with a pitch to deepen economic, tourism, and sporting ties, while also urging collaboration on decarbonising the steel industry.
Touching down in Shanghai on Saturday, Albanese said he was “excited” to be back in China and thanked Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining for the warm welcome. “It’s a great honour to represent Australia… and the fact that I’m leading a large business delegation speaks to the importance of the economic relationship between Australia and China,” he said.
On Sunday, Albanese presided over a new agreement between Tourism Australia and Trip.com — the world’s largest online travel agency — to relaunch the next phase of the Come and Say G’day campaign. It stars animated mascot Ruby the Roo and Chinese actor-singer Yu Shi, and will air across China and Asia.
In the 12 months to March 2025, more than 860,000 Chinese tourists visited Australia, spending over $9.2 billion — making them Australia’s most valuable short-term visitor market. While numbers are growing — up 26% from last year — they remain about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels.
The Prime Minister said growing tourism links would support Australian jobs and small businesses. “Expanding our tourism relationship with China will mean more jobs for Australians and a boost to Australian businesses.”
The Trip.com deal signals another thaw in the bilateral relationship after years of trade and diplomatic tensions. China only reinstated Australia on its approved list for group tours in September 2023, following Beijing’s rollback of $20 billion in trade sanctions.
Albanese’s visit also spotlights people-to-people ties through sport. He met with representatives from Shanghai Port Football Club, currently managed by former Socceroo Kevin Muscat. The club recently clinched the Chinese Super League title and boasts several Australians on its coaching staff.
On Monday, attention will turn to climate and business, as Albanese joins top Australian mining CEOs — including BHP’s Geraldine Slattery, Rio Tinto’s Kellie Parker and Fortescue’s Andrew Forrest — for a roundtable with Chinese steel giants on the future of “green steel”.
Acknowledging steelmaking’s role in global emissions, the Prime Minister is expected to say that both countries should pursue “a sustainable and market-driven global steel sector”. He will also highlight Australian efforts to invest in new technologies to reduce emissions and support decarbonisation.
While Albanese’s visit aims to strengthen economic cooperation, it comes amid political scrutiny. The federal Opposition has criticised his soft stance on China’s recent live-fire naval drills in the Tasman Sea, accusing him of being too eager to placate Beijing.
Albanese will travel to Beijing on Tuesday to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, seeking to continue stabilising the Australia–China relationship and reinforce economic, environmental and diplomatic cooperation.
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