The Joint Outcome Statement Of The Annual Meeting Between The Chinese And Australian Prime Ministers Involves Strengthening Cooperation To Combat Illegal Tobacco And E-cigarette Smuggling And Other Contents

The joint outcome statement of the annual meeting between the Chinese and Australian prime ministers involves "strengthening cooperation to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarette smuggling" and other contents

The leaders of the two countries agreed to maintain and expand contacts in the following areas, including "border law enforcement, strengthening cooperation to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarette smuggling on the basis of bilateral law enforcement cooperation in areas of common concern to both sides, such as drug control and combating transnational organized crime."

According to Xinhua News Agency on June 17, at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council of the People's Republic of China will pay an official visit to Australia from June 15 to 18, 2024. During his visit to Canberra on June 17, Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Albanese held talks, jointly held the annual meeting of the Chinese and Australian Prime Ministers and met with reporters. During the annual meeting, the leaders of the two countries exchanged views on China-Australia relations and important international and regional issues.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to maintain and expand contacts in the following areas:

Political dialogue, including defense strategic consultations, working meetings of the Ministry of Defense, and the first meeting of the bilateral maritime affairs dialogue.

Bilateral trade, including the attendance of the China-Australia CEO Roundtable by the leaders of the two countries in Perth on June 18; welcoming the implementation of the "Authorized Economic Operator" (AEO) mutual recognition arrangement; promoting the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement; welcoming the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the fields of standards, metrology, intellectual property, competition, food safety, etc.

Climate change, energy and environment, including restarting the bilateral climate change and energy dialogue, holding the eighth China-Australia Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change in Australia this year, and launching technical cooperation on soil carbon detection and climate-smart agricultural practices.

People-to-people exchanges, including expanding cooperation to expand the scale of personnel exchanges between China and Australia, and strengthening exchanges in the fields of culture, sports, education, innovation, academia, aviation, health, tourism, etc.

Border law enforcement, on the basis of bilateral law enforcement cooperation in the fields of drug control and combating transnational organized crime, which are of common concern to both sides, strengthen cooperation to combat the smuggling of illegal tobacco and e-cigarettes.

The two supreme leaders noted that compared with the Joint Outcome Statement of the Annual Meeting between Chinese and Australian Prime Ministers issued on November 7, 2023, this annual meeting for the first time specifically mentioned in the Joint Outcome Statement "border law enforcement, strengthening cooperation to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarette smuggling on the basis of bilateral law enforcement cooperation in areas such as drug control and combating transnational organized crime of common concern to both sides.