China envoy heckled in Sydney

SYDNEY • China's chief envoy to Australia was heckled by several protesters in Sydney yesterday as he delivered a speech that attempted to go some way towards repairing relations between the trading partners.

One shouted about the detention of members of the Uighur minority group in China, while another protester called Ambassador Xiao Qian "a disgrace" as he addressed the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney.

Since the election of centre-left Australian leader Anthony Albanese last month, Australia and China have been cautiously exploring reopening diplomatic communications after a pause of more than two years. This month, Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles met with his counterpart Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Singapore.

Between interruptions to his speech yesterday, Mr Xiao said the ministerial talks between China and Australia were "very significant" after the difficult period in relations.

"Perhaps more important is how we can maintain the momentum and put our relationship back on the right track," he said.

The diplomatic freeze between Canberra and Beijing set in after former prime minister Scott Morrison called in April 2020 for an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19.

That outraged China and led to trade barriers being enforced on Australian imports, including meat, wine and coal.

Mr Xiao said there had been a change in attitude among Chinese people towards Australia in recent years.

BLOOMBERG