Opening remarks to meeting with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi

It’s a great pleasure to meet you again, Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Thank you for the opportunity to meet today and thank you for the constructive discussions we had during your visit for the Foreign and Strategic Dialogue in Canberra in March.

We meet at the margins of the General Assembly, which grounds our discussion in the context of the international rules-based system to which both our countries have committed under the UN Charter.

Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed the importance of the Charter when they met in Australia in June, as providing the foundation for peace and prosperity that benefits all of us through agreed rules, norms and standards.

These rules and norms are clearly under great strain - whether through the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, untold deaths of civilians and aid workers, and climate change – these are just some of the threats to our security and stability.

China’s size and weight, as a great power and permanent member of the UN Security Council, make your country central to global challenges, from climate to health.

And it is in all of our interests for China to play a constructive role in the international system that is inclusive and representative.

As I said at the Summit of the Future, the UN system needs reform. But we cannot allow elements of the UN system that protect us all to be undermined.

Minister Wang, today is an opportunity to discuss these global issues, as well as continue dialogue on regional and bilateral matters.

Since then Premier’s visit, we have had many more exchanges – parliamentary, official and Ministerial. We look forward to convening the Strategic Economic, Defence and Maritime dialogues soon.

We both understand the points on which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence.

We have discussed these issues in all of our meetings, and so it will come as no surprise that today will also be an opportunity to discuss human rights, trade impediments, consular matters, the rights and freedoms of those who live in Australia, our expectations around safe and professional military conduct, and our strategic and security interests.

We also will continue to discuss areas of shared cooperation and mutual benefit, including trade and economic issues, education, and the transition to net zero.

Minister Wang, you and I have made a personal commitment to stabilise our bilateral relationship – and I thank you for that. It is a relationship that matters to both our countries but it also matters to the region, and all who share a vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

I have said in the past, as the Chinese saying goes, we are crossing the river by feeling for the stones, to see what works for both countries in 2024.

We have been doing this for more than two years now, and it is in this spirit that I meet you today.