Don’t be fooled by the pandas and the wine, a chill remains in the Australia-China relationship

The smiles and handshakes are welcome and the replacement pandas and wine appreciation suggest the thaw is progressing.

But there are a few reminders in Chinese premier Li Qiang’s visit to Australia and its aftermath that, for all the bilateral relationship’s new surface warmth, a chill remains underneath.

The behaviour of Chinese embassy officials towards Australian journalist Cheng Lei at a ceremony she was accredited to cover on Monday was neither subtle nor sophisticated.

The minders were not happy to see Cheng, who is now freelancing for Sky News after spending almost three years in a Chinese jail falsely accused of spying because she broke a publication embargo on some economic figures by a few minutes while working for a local network in Beijing.

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As Li and Anthony Albanese were about to read their prepared remarks, the pair of Chinese embassy officials stood up in front of the seated Cheng and blocked her view of proceedings. Seemingly more importantly, they tried to stop the cameras capturing her and Li in the same shot. Their Australian hosts’ demands to move were ignored.

When a colleague swapped seats to help Cheng escape the intimidation, the Chinese pair repositioned. Two Australian officials had to physically obstruct them as they tried to push past and stand over her.

Diplomatic protocols counted for nothing. The embassy staff had exactly zero regard for their hosts and didn’t hesitate to try to menace an Australian in her own nation’s parliament.

In his prepared remarks, Li had described the relationship as “stable” and “mature”. While his embassy staff were engaging in their antics, Li was talking about “mutual respect”.

A swag of no doubt significant agreements were signed in the same room – on research, education, economic cooperation and the like – but there was no press conference to interrogate them. China isn’t the first country to insist its visiting leader not be subjected to the fourth estate but it does say something about the attitude to accountability.

Albanese held his own press conference, solo, after the state lunch, just to make the point that this is how we do things here.

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Having highlighted a “revitalised” relationship, the prime minister said Australia’s approach had been “patient, calibrated and deliberate”.

Albanese was more forthcoming than he might be after talks with other leaders. He confirmed they had discussed aggressive air and sea engagements between Australian and Chinese defence personnel, agreeing to improve “military to military communication”.

He said he had raised concerns about foreign interference and human rights, especially the fate of detained Australian Dr Yang Hengjun and other Australians now on death row in China.

And he raised China’s engagement in the Pacific. On this, actions also speak louder than words.

As Li leaves Australia on Tuesday night, a seven-member ministerial delegation led by the deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, heads to Papua New Guinea. This includes the ministers for international development and the Pacific, home affairs and agriculture and emergency management, along with the assistant trade minister and the attorney-general.

It’s the first time such an Australian ministerial delegation has visited PNG since 2019.

Officially, the annual Australia-PNG ministerial forum is to discuss domestic approaches to issues including cybersecurity, law and justice, and disaster relief along with security, trade and regional development.

But this time, China and its growing influence there will be a major focus.

Speaking on Adelaide radio 5AA on Monday, Wong said Australia had to engage with China “because of who they are and their weight in the region”.

“What Australia has to do is to make sure we work to express and advocate for our interests and our values,” Wong said.

She and Albanese don’t like the word “transactional” but the bilateral relationship is certainly ruthlessly pragmatic.

Right now it’s about rebuilding dialogue. Trust will take a lot longer.