‘Neighbours matter more than ever’: China, Australia vow more contact amid global tension

Premier Li Qiang says ‘Beijing is willing to import more high-quality Australian products, expand and upgrade bilateral trade’3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenPublished: 2:27pm, 8 Apr 2026Updated: 3:26pm, 8 Apr 2026China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy.In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy security.In a social media post, Albanese said: “Now more than ever, our relationships with our neighbours matter. We will continue to engage in dialogue to maintain our stable and constructive relationship.”01:31US and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire amid Pakistani mediation effortsUS and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire amid Pakistani mediation effortsThe call was held on Tuesday afternoon as the clock ticked down towards US President Donald Trump’s deadline of promised heavy attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure. However, Iran and the US, brokered by Pakistan, agreed on Wednesday morning to a two-week ceasefire and peace talks to start in Islamabad on Friday.Li said Beijing was ready to deepen political trust and expand practical cooperation with Australia, while also calling on Canberra to “steer their bilateral relationship in the right direction”, according to a Chinese statement on the meeting.After years of tension, China-Australia relations have shown signs of stabilising. A visit by Albanese to Beijing in July signalled a reset that reopened high-level dialogue and revived economic and trade exchanges, even as sharp differences persisted on regional flashpoints and critical minerals.During the conversation, Li described Australia as an “important partner”, while Albanese’s office said high-level engagement was central to a “mature, stable and constructive relationship”.Li was quoted as saying: “China is ready to work with Australia to … maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen communication and coordination, build political trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade.