China has agreed to review tariffs imposed on Australian wine imports, prompting the Australian government to suspend a World Trade Organization dispute it lodged against Beijing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sunday.
The prime minister also announced he will visit China from Nov. 4 to 7 to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang which, in a sign of improving bilateral relations, would be the first visit to the country by an Australian leader since 2016.
"We welcome China's agreement to undertake an expedited review of its duties," Albanese said in a press release, adding that this process is expected to take five months.
The move comes as the government of Labor Party leader Albanese, who took office in May 2022, has worked to mend bilateral ties that had deteriorated under the previous Liberal-National coalition government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"I look forward to visiting China, an important step towards ensuring a stable and productive relationship," he said.
Beijing has so far lifted restrictions on imports of Australian coal and barley.
China imposed sanctions on Australian wine, barley and coal in 2020 after bilateral ties soured over a series of issues, including human rights concerns in China and Canberra's call for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
China is Australia's largest trading partner, amounting to almost a third of its total trade, according to the Australian government.
