Australian trade minister Don Farrell on Monday accepted an invitation to visit Beijing in the near future, after a virtual meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao that saw Canberra continue to push for the removal of Chinese sanctions on Australian goods.
The teleconference marked the first meeting between Australian and Chinese trade ministers since 2019, as the two countries seek to bolster diplomatic ties after a three-year deep freeze.
Farrell said in a statement that the meeting represents "another important step in the stabilization of Australia's relations with China," and covered a range of issues "including the need for resumption of unimpeded trade for Australian exporters so that Chinese consumers can continue to benefit from high-quality Australian products."
The two ministers "agreed to enhance dialogue at all levels, including between officials, as a pathway towards the timely and full resumption of trade," Farrell continued.
The Australian trade minister has previously signaled that Canberra is willing to withdraw two World Trade Organization dispute cases against China if the Asian country shows "goodwill" by dropping its trade bans.
China has imposed sanctions on Australian wine, barley and coal in recent years after bilateral ties soured over a series of issues including human rights concerns and Canberra's call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Sino-Australia relations, however, have improved considerably since the election of Australia's Labor government in May last year, with high-level meetings and talks resuming.
Monday's meeting comes just weeks after Chinese officials relaxed an unofficial import ban on Australian coal, according to local media reports.
