Ties between China and Australia have turned around and the two countries will focus on their "shared interests" while properly managing their differences, said an Australian expert in Sydney on Tuesday.
"I think it has turned around, certainly compared with where it was back in 2020 to 2022. Now, of course, turning around doesn't mean it's smooth sailing now. But look, I see Canberra and Beijing are engaged in a very clear eyed, pragmatic constructive way at the moment. Both sides know there're still differences, but those differences are being very calmly and professionally managed. And I think both sides are putting the emphasis on where there's shared interests. And let's not forget, there are plenty of shared interests," said James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Research Institute at the University of Technology Sydney during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) via video link.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in the midst of a 7-day state visit in China aimed at deepening ties between the two countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Albanese in Beijing on Tuesday. President Xi said that China-Australia relations have emerged from their low point and achieved a turnaround in recent years, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
Describing the meeting was as very constructive, Albanese said China's development is of vital importance to Australia, emphasizing that Australia does not seek economic decoupling from China and is willing to maintain smooth bilateral trade to advance practical cooperation in areas such as green industry, climate change response, and medical technology to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.2 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2025, showed data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on Wednesday.
The country's GDP reached 34.1778 trillion yuan (about 4.76 trillion U.S. dollars) in the same period, the NBS data showed.
Laurenceson said such a performance is impressive from a global perspective.
"It's still above 5 percent annual growth. That's pretty impressive in a global comparison and from an Australian perspective, we're seeing evidence of that in our trade data. You know, whether I think about iron ore or lithium sales, the volumes of those goods being shipped to China are at or very close to record highs. So, look, China's economy has challenges. It's certainly not growing as fast as it was five years ago. But again, in an international comparison, it's looking pretty good. And I think most Australian businesses are quite happy to have an exposure to China, rather than plenty of other countries around the world," he said.
China, Australia to focus on shared interests as bilateral ties turn around: expert
