Australian news and politics live: China state media praises Albanese ahead of Xi Jinping meeting in Beijing

During his official meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese raised the need for direct discussions on peace in the region.

In his opening remarks, Mr Albanese said it was important that Australia expressed its “thinking on how we can maintain peace, security, stability and prosperity”

“It is important that we have these direct discussions on issues that matter to us, and to the stability and prosperity of our region,” Mr Albanese said.

“As you and I have agreed previously, dialogue needs to be at the centre of our relationship, and I welcome the opportunity to set out Australia’s views and interests and our thinking on how we can maintain peace, security, stability and prosperity in our region.

“I look forward very much to another productive conversation with you today.”

Anthony Albanese has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

Both leaders have made brief remarks and welcomed their shared cooperation.

President Xi has said China is seeking common ground while sharing differences in his opening remarks.

The PM outlined his engagements during the week-long trip and the importance of the bilateral relationship.

Sussan Ley has described her first meeting with new State Liberal leader Basil Zemplias as “terrific” and said the two spoke about female participation in the party.

“I had a terrific first meeting with Basil Zempilas yesterday. There are many areas of alignment between federal policy and state government policy,” she said.

“I am agnostic about how we would get that female representation into the Parliament, but I am an absolute zealot that we do that. And Basil and I agreed.”

The Opposition leader is in WA on a nation-wide listening tour after their diabolical defeat on May 3.

Sussan Ley has said the Chinese navy’s circumnavigation of Australia earlier this year was “not a respectful relationship” and urged Anthony Albanese to strengthen it during his China trip.

The Opposition leader told reporters in Perth on Tuesday, she hoped several issues would be raised during the PM’s week-long visit.

“Also of concern is the live firing exercises that took place around our coastline in February this year. That was not a respectful relationship,” she said.

“The Prime Minister should speak frankly about the increasing influence that China has in the region.”

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has slammed the Albanese Government over leaked Treasurer advice and says the PM will have to clean up the tax mess when he returns from his China trip.

“The Prime Minister is overseas, and he’s obviously talking about matters that are important… he has got some explaining to do,” she said.

“Because while the Prime Minister was away, it became clear that the Government has leaked its own Treasury advice.

“That leaked advice - leaked by the Albanese Government - also says that there aren’t many options open to this Government other than raising taxes.

“It’s pretty disappointing that we have a treasurer who’s responded to this leaked report by saying he’s quite relaxed. Really?”

Australian business leaders are looking to the Prime Minister to set the tone for deeper trade ties with China when he sits down with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing today.

Anthony Albanese’s high-profile meetings with the three most powerful Chinese political leaders, Mr Xi, Mr Li and Communist Party Chairman Zhao Leji, at the prestigious Great Hall of the People are the centrepiece of his six-day tour of China.

The highly-anticipated talks with the Chinese leadership run parallel to the Australian-China CEO roundtable, drawing together business titans from resources, tourism, finance, education and agriculture, which Mr Albanese will address on Tuesday evening.

His three-city sweep of Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu comes at a time of rising geopolitical uncertainty, with China assertively advancing its territorial claims in the region and the United States stoking economic upheaval through its unpredictable tariff regime.

Read the full sory here.

Anthony Albanese’s week-long trip to China has received positive reports in Chinese state media, which has marked a contrast between his leadership to Scott Morrison’s.

Articles in China Daily commend Mr Albanese for his “clearer judgement and understanding” than his Liberal predecessor.

They go on to describe the PM’s visit as a “friendly gesture” and a sign of “great cooperation” after rebuilding trade and bilateral relations over the past two years.

Australia shouldn’t legislate a controversial definition of anti-Semitism or impose penalties for breaching it, coalition frontbencher James Paterson says.

Anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal on Thursday handed down her report on combating hatred against Jewish people.

She recommended that Australia adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which some groups argue conflates criticism of Israel.

The report also urges the government to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against anti-Semitism.

All public funding agreements with festivals or cultural institutions should include terms to allow for the termination of the agreement when they promote or facilitate hatred, it says.

​Read more.​

An independent who clinched the most closely fought contest of the federal election has vowed to fight a challenge to her seat.

After a month of vote tallying and an automatic recount, Nicolette Boele was declared the MP for the north Sydney seat of Bradfield, seizing victory over Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian by just 26 votes.

But more than two months after constituents took to the polls, Ms Kapterian revealed she would take the decision to the umpire.

In response, the independent confirmed she will defend her victory, though she will need some help from her community.

“Everything we’ve worked for is on the line,” Ms Boele said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The Liberal Party has a legal team and enormous resources. I have community.

“But we can’t rely on volunteers in the High Court, we need good lawyers, and that is expensive.”

Read more.

Australia’s central bank wants to remove surcharge fees on both debit and credit cards in a move it expects would save consumer more than $1 billion.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s review of merchant card payment costs recommends the fees be scrapped on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa card transactions as they don’t help consumers make more efficient payment choices.

Lowering the cap on interchange fees paid by businesses - another recommendation of the paper - as well would save Australian $1.2 billion.

An interchange fee is paid by a business to a customer’s card issuer when a transaction occurs.

Read more.