It is my honour to welcome you, Your Excellency, Mr Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

And to welcome all the distinguished guests who join us today.

Premier Li, it is an honour to represent the Government and people of Australia as your host.

And it is a pleasure to reciprocate the generosity with which I was welcomed in China last year.

It was my seventh visit to China, but my first as Prime Minister.

And it was an important opportunity to advance the engagement between our nations.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Well, thank you very much and firstly, a very warm welcome to Premier Li to Canberra. My visit to China last year was an important one for our relationship, so I'm very pleased to be returning the hospitality that I received in Beijing and Shanghai on a visit that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the recognition of relations between our two great nations. Premier Li is the first Chinese Premier to visit Australia since 2017.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Australia and to reciprocate the wonderful hospitality that I received in Shanghai and Beijing last year, it was a resumption of our Annual Leaders’ Meetings. I did have a wonderful time while I was in China and I know that you enjoyed your visit to Adelaide yesterday. And we will also meet again in Perth tomorrow with the business community.

1. At the invitation of The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, H.E. Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, undertook an official visit to Australia from 15 to 18 June, 2024. Premier Li Qiang visited Adelaide, Canberra and Perth during his visit.
2. During the visit to Canberra on 17 June, Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Li Qiang held talks, jointly convened the Annual Leaders’ Meeting and briefed media.

Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Canberra for their Annual Leaders’ Meeting.

Following the meeting, the leaders witnessed the signature of a range of bilateral arrangements that will renew dialogue and strengthen cooperation between Australia and China.

Australia’s goods and services exports to China have more than doubled since China-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2015. Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen its implementation.

CHRIS O’KEEFE, HOST: You know that I've been campaigning and a big supporter on upgrading Leichhardt Oval and I've been doing stories on it for more than 10 years, I reckon. I'm not a Wests Tigers supporter. I've been living in the area, though, in and around Balmain for ages now and I've seen firsthand just how many sporting teams use Leichhardt Oval for a whole range of sports. Doesn't matter what it is, juniors, adult sport, it is always being used and I just want to remind you of something.

HIS EXCELLENCY MR LI QIANG, PREMIER OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Nice to meet you, Mr. Prime Minister in here in Jakarta. Indeed it's my pleasure to have this opportunity. Last November, you met with President Xi Jinping, also in Indonesia but in Bali. A series of important common understandings were reached. Since then, thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, the China-Australia relationship has continued to show a positive momentum of improvement which is welcomed by all sectors of both countries and the international community.

Today I met China’s Premier Li Qiang in the margins of the East Asia Summit.

We had a frank and constructive discussion, welcomed ongoing progress in stabilising our bilateral relationship, and the renewed engagement between our two countries. We both agreed on the value of expanding cooperation in areas of shared interest.

I raised a range of bilateral and other issues of importance to Australia, including remaining trade impediments, consular cases and human rights. We discussed and shared perspectives on regional and international security issues.

A joint $40 million investment in Sydney’s historic Leichhardt Oval will deliver critical upgrades to ensure the safety and comfort of competitors and fans.

The Albanese Government recognises the significant contribution Leichhardt Oval has made, and continues to make, to sport in Australia. It is on track to host 120 sporting fixtures in 2024, including both men’s and women’s national rugby league matches and dozens of other sport events including women and girls’ soccer.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks everyone for joining us at what is a very exciting announcement here at Leichhardt Oval. This is an iconic venue and it's about not just sport, it's really about people's identity - people who've played here, people who've come and watched their heroes here. It is a venue that will see more than 100 different sporting events this year. Everything from West Tigers, Sydney FC games, to local school sport and junior activity as well. Both importantly, because what we're seeing is an enormous growth in women's team sport.