Chinese Premier Li Keqiang continued his visit in Australia on March 24.
He said that Beijing and Canberra should extend free trade to more sectors. The two countries had signed a wide-ranging free trade agreement in 2015. China is currently Australia’s largest trading partner.
Li is the first sitting premier to visit Australia in 11 years. He said China will now accept chilled beef exports from all licensed exporters. Last year, China imported more than US$6.1 billion in beef from Australia, including frozen and live cattle.
Li and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, tied to a US$4.6 billion mine, rail, and port project.
China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. has tentatively agreed to build a new port and rail line for a yet-to-be-approved iron ore mine in Western Australia with privately owned New Zealand firm BBI Group, according to the MOU.
Li also defended China’s stance on the South China Sea. He said that China is not militarizing the dispute waters, but defense equipment had been placed on islands in the area to maintain “freedom of navigation.”
China has drawn international criticism for large-scale building in the South China Sea, although Li told reporters in Australia the development was for civilian purposes only.
