Australia and China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of a slight thaw

Australia and China opened their first high-level dialogue in three years Thursday in a sign of a slight thaw to relations between countries that have clashed on everything from human rights to COVID-19 origins to trade. "I welcome the recent positive developments in the bilateral relationship, but we know that there is more work to do,” said Craig Emerson, the head of the Australian delegation and a former trade minister. China's former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said the two countries should work together, but added that “We should adhere to the liberalization of trade and jointly oppose the Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and trade protectionism.”