Overview
- Penny Wong, speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, said Chinese authorities will help connect suppliers with Australian companies for jet fuel and called it a first step.
- Industry reports from the Financial Times and Bloomberg said state refiners have applied for permits to ship fuel in May, pointing to a possible restart of exports.
- Exports were cut in March after the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by the Iran war, which hit Australia hard because China supplied about a third of its jet fuel last year.
- Wong pressed Vice-Premier Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi for steady access to jet fuel and fertilizers, arguing reliable inputs keep Australia's resource exports flowing to China.
- Her meeting began with a brief standoff as Chinese officials tried to block Australian media from filming her opening remarks in the Great Hall of the People.