Australian PM raises trade ‘blockages’ with China’s Xi

By NINIEK KARMINI and ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping concerns about trade “blockages” but did not walk away from their first face-to-face talks with any promises that the $13 billion barriers to Australian exports would be lifted. The Australian government described the talks on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Indonesia as the first formal bilateral meeting between the two nations’ leaders since 2016. Albanese has been calling for China to lift a series of official and unofficial barriers to Australian exports including beef, wine, seafood, wood and coal that cost $13 billion a year. Albanese described his 30-minute meeting with Xi as successful and warm. He says both leaders agreed dialogue would continue.