China talks on lifting export bans 'making progress'

While it was the latest in a number of online and face-to face meetings between Australian and Chinese officials in the past year, Senator Ayres was the first Australian minister to visit China since Foreign Minister Penny Wong's trip to Beijing in December. He was also the first federal minister to attend the Boao Forum, an annual gathering held on China's Hainan Island, since 2016. 'More work to do' Senator Ayres said he reinforced Australia's message that it would prefer to directly resolve disputes over tariffs on wine and barley with China rather than through the World Trade Organisation. He…