Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, following messages between the country’s leaders, as the trading partners seek to stabilise their frosty diplomatic relationship. Wong and a small delegation of officials met with Wang in the Diaoyutai state guesthouse, images released by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade showed. “We can grow our bilateral relationship and uphold both our national interests if both countries navigate our differences wisely,” she said at the beginning of the meeting. (https://neuters.de/world/asia-pacific/china-work-with-australia-promote-strategic-partnership-says-xi-jinping-2022-12-21/) The meeting followed a message from China’s President Xi Jinping sent earlier in the day to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising China will work to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership, state media reported. Before meeting Wang, Wong addressed staff at the Australian embassy on a video link from Diaoyutai, where she will stay for the duration of the overnight visit as part of a so-called “closed loop” system that will isolate her and her entourage amid China’s COVID-19 outbreak.