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Trade Minister Steve Ciobo has cautioned exporters from overstating "irritants" in doing business with China, welcoming progress on the resolution of a Beijing-imposed go-slow.
More than two thirds of Australian wine held up amid tense relations between China and Australia has been released for sale, prompting calls for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to visit China as quickly as possible to repair relations with Australia's biggest trading partner.
Representatives from four of Australia's biggest winemakers – Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard, Casella Family Brands and McWilliams – met with Assistant Agriculture Minister Anne Ruston on Wednesday after Treasury went public with concerns about delays at the border caused by Chinese customs officials.
Mr Ciobo told the National Press Club address in Canberra on Wednesday more than $1 billion worth of Australian wine was exported to China and his engagement on behalf of Treasury had seen progress in resolving the delays.
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He wouldn't be drawn on whether similar problems could spread to other export areas.
"We have achieved quite a lot of success in helping to get that product moving again. If you look at our trade and investment relationship with China, it is very strong," he said.
"I am not papering over where there is challenges, but it is also critical that we don't lose sight of the bigger picture here, which is a trade investment relationship that is very strong, very broad and very deep.
"The vast bulk of product that was experiencing delays, I understand, is now moving. That is what I have been informed."
Mr Ciobo was rebuffed by senior Chinese government ministers on a recent visit, with none available for face-to-face meetings. He was the first Australian minister to travel to China since late 2017, amid a freeze on invitations being approved by Beijing. He attended an AFL game and met the mayor of Shanghai.
Mr Ciobo confirmed the Prime Minister intended to visit later in 2018, coming as the Coalition seeks to introduce foreign interference laws aimed at curbing Chinese activities in Australia.
A cross-party report expected to be released this week will recommend changes to the legislation.
"There are examples of where we do see irritation. We work in a constructive way to overcome that," he said.
"We have that pretty much with all countries with whom we operate, but let's not lose sight of the bigger picture and start being a little loose, frankly, with the language that suggests the relationship in some way less than the strength it actually has."
After being criticised for not expressing the government's official position about China's militarisation in the South China Sea during a media interview last month, Mr Ciobo said Canberra was "against militarisation of contested territorial claims".
He insisted Australia did not have to make choices between trade relationships and national security threats.
"It is not a trade-off," he said.
Mr Ciobo said Australia had not contemplated growing trade and investment relations with a denuclearised North Korea, describing the suggestion as "very optimistic" ahead of next week's summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore.
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