Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, after a rare meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, indicated that the meeting was “constructive”, but this does not mean that the normalization of relations between Australia and China can happen quickly.

She expressed her belief that “it is a long road with many steps that both sides need to take in order to achieve a more stable relationship.” She said the issue of trade impediments was raised “very clearly”, noting that she also raised the case of Australian journalist Cheng Li in Chinese custody and “a number of other consular cases”.

China is Australia’s biggest trading partner, but relations between the two countries have deteriorated over the past five years. Among the most important points of contention between the two countries are China’s activities to expand its influence in the region and the repression, which Beijing is accused of carrying out in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.