Chinese Premier Li Qiang is due to arrive in Australia on Saturday on a four-day official visit, with trade talks and panda diplomacy high on the agenda.

According to , Li concluded his three-day visit to New Zealand, the first leg of his three-nation tour from June 13 to 20.

During his stay in Australia, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting before leaving for Malaysia.

China's second-most powerful politician after President Xi Jinping is also expected to visit Adelaide Zoo, which has been the home of China-born pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni since 2009, and a lithium processing plant in the Kwinana Beach industrial estate.

Li’s visit is the first by a Chinese prime minister in seven years. He is also expected to discuss the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine pact, tariffs, and military activities in the Asia Pacific.

Beijing's desire to enter the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is also expected to be discussed. The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Source: caliber.az