Australia to receive a fresh pair of large pandas from China, indicating strengthening relationships.
Li revealed the news at Adelaide Zoo as he embarked on a four-day journey to Australia, as per ABC's report. He disclosed that China will dispatch a fresh duo of giant pandas to the zoo in Southern Australia after the existing pair departs for China later this year, as per Chinese state media.
The politician's visit to Australia, the first by a Chinese premier in seven years, ensued after Beijing eradicated hefty tariffs on Australian wines and eased restrictions on barley, wood, and coal that were imposed post Scott Morrison's 2020 demand for an international investigation into China's Covid-19 pandemic origins.
Relations between the nations have warmed since the Labor party assumed power in Australia in 2022.
China is Australia's leading trade partner, handling almost one-third of the country's foreign trade, as per the Australian government. In return, Australia's commodities are crucial for China's attempt to resurrect its sluggish economy.
China lends pandas to over 20 countries as Beijing's goodwill ambassadors – a practice commonly known as "panda diplomacy" – which often serves as a gauge of relations.
The giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni, the sole pandas in the southern hemisphere, have been on loan to Adelaide Zoo since November 2009. In 2019, a deal was reached to prolong their stay for another five years, as reported by Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.
Li, second in command in China, was pleased to see that "though a long way from home, Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been well cared for and have adapted to living a happy life in Australia," as per a statement from China's Foreign Ministry. "They have become envoys of friendship between China and Australia, and a symbol of the deep friendship between the two peoples," Li said in the statement.
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After the announcement of China sending new giant pandas to Australia, Li mentioned that China is the country's leading trade partner, handling nearly one-third of its foreign trade.
The strengthening relations between Australia and China, as demonstrated by the upcoming arrival of new pandas, have significantly improved since the Labor party came into power in Australia in 2022.
