Chinese Premier Li Qiang has embarked on the first visit to Australia by a senior leader from Beijing since 2017, signaling improved ties between the two countries at a time of escalating security tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Li arrived in the southern city of Adelaide on Saturday for the first part of his trip. He toured the city’s zoo on Sunday morning to visit Australia’s only panda couple, Wang Wang and Fu Ni. As part of the trip, Li announced that the beloved couple would return to China after 15 years, but promised to replace them with a new pair of the iconic animals.
In the afternoon, Li is expected to visit a South Australian winery, a symbolic stop for the prime minister following China’s lifting of heavy tariffs on local wines earlier this year.
