Australian foreign minister arrives in Beijing for talks

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Beijing early Wednesday for talks, raising hopes that Australia will make progress on ending trade sanctions and freeing two Australian citizens detained in China.

Wong will meet with her counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing this week as Australia and China mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. The visit will include a new round of talks on foreign and strategic issues after the talks were suspended in 2018.

Wong's trip signals a continued thaw in relations between the two nations since Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won an election victory in May, replacing the more conservative Scott Morrison in the top role.