Staff members check the size of rock lobsters at the Welshpool live lobster facility of the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative (GFC) in Perth, Australia, Oct. 24, 2024. The Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative (GFC) will attend the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai. Since its establishment in 1950, GFC has been focused on the export of Western rock lobster.(Photo: Xinhua)
Relevant Chinese and Australian authorities are holding technical consultations to address inspection and quarantine issues for Australian lobster exports to China, He Yadong, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation to address trade concerns.
He made these remarks when asked about the timeline for lifting China's ban on Australian lobsters, following an agreement the Australian Prime Minister announced at the ASEAN Summit in Laos to resume lobster trade by the end of the year.
Chinese and Australian authorities are conducting technical consultations to resolve inspection and quarantine challenges related to Australian lobster exports, He said. He added that he hopes both sides to maintain mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation to resolve trade-related issues effectively.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said at
a regular press conference on October 10 that China stands ready to work with Australia to continue properly resolving issues of each other's concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to build more mature and stable bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples, when the spokesperson asked for comment on media reports that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that China would lift sanctions on imports of Australian lobsters.
China used to be one of the largest export destinations for Australia's lobsters. About 95 percent of Australia's A$750 million ($527 million) worth of lobster exports in 2019 went to China, according to media reports.
The Australian lobster trade cooled down due to quality issues detected by Chinese customs in late 2020. This precautionary measure aimed to ensure health and safety of Chinese consumers.
The issue with lobsters is primarily a technical one, but the previous Morrison government politicized it, complicating the matter, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday. He added that the common ground between the two sides is believed to far outweigh the differences, and the disagreements can be managed.
"It is worth noting that, through joint efforts, more and more Australian products are entering the large Chinese market, benefiting from the trade development," Chen said, citing the recent
positive example of the resumption of Australian beef exports to China. He added that this shows the economic and trade relationship between the two countries is getting back on track.
"The economic and trade complementarity between the two nations is very strong. Australia is also eager to restore its comprehensive economic and trade relations with China, as the Australian economy is currently struggling," Chen said, emphasizing that stable and stronger economic ties would be beneficial for both sides.
Global Times