Even at a diplomatic encounter as soft and fluffy as a trip to a panda enclosure, the harsh realities of the China-Australia relationship managed to break through the bonhomie of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit. Sunday marked the first visit to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years, and Adelaide turned it on with a sparkling winter’s day. The sun glowing in a clear blue sky was an apt metaphor for the dramatic thaw in tensions since Labor came to power.
Two years ago, Chinese ministers were not even taking calls from their Australian counterparts, let alone hopping on a plane to South Australia. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to giant panda Wang Wang at the Adelaide Zoo. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen China’s second most powerful official came to the city of churches bearing a gift.
Adelaide Zoo, he announced, would soon be loaned a new pair of “beautiful, lovely and adorable pandas” to replace Wang Wang and Fu Ni , the beloved but unfortunately infertile duo set to return to China after 15 years. China uses pandas as part of its diplomatic arsenal, deploying them around the globe to signal which nations are in and out of favour. The message of Li’s visit was clear: Australia is no longer in the diplomatic doghouse.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas were all smiles, thanking Li for his generosity. As the officials engaged in panda diplom.