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Albanese to Visit China to Weigh AI and Tech in Trade Deal Review

Beijing has formally pitched expanding the decade-old pact to cover emerging sectors; Canberra is weighing economic benefits against security and data sovereignty risks.

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Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a Labor party election night event, after local media projected the Labor Party's victory, on the day of the Australian federal election, in Sydney, Australia, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File photo

Overview

  • In an Australian Financial Review op-ed, Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian urged a review of the 2015 free-trade agreement to add collaboration in artificial intelligence, healthcare, green energy and the digital economy.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu this weekend on a week-long mission to discuss Beijing’s formal proposal.
  • He has made no commitment to broaden the pact’s scope, stating that Canberra will “determine our policy” on new sectors including AI.
  • Bilateral trade has fully rebounded to pre-sanction levels after China lifted barriers on Australian exports such as wine and barley.
  • Analysts caution that deep AI cooperation could threaten Australia’s data sovereignty and pose national security risks.