Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday morning, during the latter's official visit to China. This marks the fourth meeting between the two leaders in three years. President Xi said that with the joint efforts of both sides, 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. As the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership enters its second decade, this meeting has set the tone for steady progress in bilateral ties while keeping external disruptions at bay.

This visit marks Albanese's first trip to China since his re-election, and China is the country where he has spent the longest time during an overseas visit in this term. His seven-day itinerary spans Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, accompanied by a delegation that includes senior executives from major Australian companies. In recent years, as China-Australia relations have continued to improve, the Australian government's understanding of its relationship with China has also deepened. During the meeting on Tuesday, Albanese said that Australia values its relations with China, adheres to the one-China policy and Australia has never sought to decouple from the Chinese economy. He has demonstrated a pragmatic and rational approach to China policy. An Australian scholar described the current state of China-Australia relations this way - Both sides recognize their differences, but agree that those differences should not define the relationship. Such wisdom in "seeking harmony without uniformity" is especially enlightening at a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise.

Australia is currently facing tariff pressure from Washington, but the outlook for the development of China-Australia economic and trade relations remains very clear. Since 2009, China has been Australia's largest trading partner, top import source, and biggest export market for 16 consecutive years. One in four Australian jobs depends on trade, and approximately 25 percent of the country's exports go to China. In addition, China has long been Australia's largest source of international students and overseas tourists, with more than one million Chinese tourists visiting Australia each year.

According to a recent report released by the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce, over 70 percent of surveyed Australian businesses operating in China said that improvements in bilateral relations have had a positive impact on their long-term strategies in the Chinese market.

The turnaround in China-Australia relations reflects the genuine expectations of both peoples. It also demonstrates that China and Australia are opportunities for each other's development - and highlights the strong appeal of China's vast market, the resilience of its economic growth, and the certainty of its continued commitment to opening-up.

During his meeting with Albanese, Xi affirmed China's unwavering commitment to peaceful development, dedication to shared progress, and its policy of advancing Asia-Pacific cooperation. These "unwavering commitments" serve as a "confidence booster" to Australia and to all countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Although China-Australia relations have experienced ups and downs, after the storm comes the rainbow. It is hoped that in this process, Australia's more rational and comprehensive understanding of China will help enhance mutual strategic trust and lay a foundation for higher-level cooperation in the future.

At present, there are specific issues between China and Australia that need to be discussed, such as the lease of Darwin Port and the expansion of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. There are also practical obstacles, especially the tendencies toward "pan-politicization" and "pan-securitization," as well as interference from third parties. Of course, compared with the "minefields" status described by the Global Times editorial three years ago, today's China-Australia relationship is like a plane flying in the "stratosphere" after passing through the storm zone, and the most turbulent and bumpy period has passed. A recent poll by an Australian think tank shows that, for the first time in recent years, more Australians see China as an "economic partner" than as a "security threat." This indicates that once artificially created obstacles are removed, a strong inherent demand on both sides for developing friendly ties is emerging. The overall improvement in the atmosphere also creates conditions for the two countries to resolve issues through consultation and jointly plan a longer-term future.

Facing a complex and turbulent international situation, we hope Australia will maintain "three mindsets": a calm and pragmatic attitude toward China-Australia relations, an open-minded and rational approach to differences, and an enterprising spirit for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. China and Australia are both major countries in the Asia-Pacific and both beneficiaries and defenders of the post-war international order. The two countries are fully capable of strengthening coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the G20, and APEC to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, uphold the international rules-based order, promote free trade, and inject more stability and certainty into a world undergoing turbulence and change. We hope the Australian side will meet China halfway, follow the strategic consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to deepen strategic trust, avoid disruptive factors, adhere to a mature and correct path, and neither hesitate nor deviate from course.