Wong Secures China Jet Fuel Deal as Beijing Dialogue Deepens Australia-China Ties

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong concluded a high-stakes three-day visit to Beijing this week, securing a critical agreement with China to facilitate jet fuel supplies to Australian businesses as the Middle East conflict continues to strangle global energy markets. Wong held the eighth Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on April 29 — her third official visit to China as foreign minister — pressing Beijing to loosen export controls on aviation fuel that have squeezed Australian supplies since the Strait of Hormuz closure in February. China, which supplied one-third of Australia's jet fuel last year, agreed to engage directly with Australian businesses on shipments — a tangible win for Canberra's energy diplomacy. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also received Wong, describing bilateral relations as having made "significant progress" despite past turbulence. Wong struck an optimistic tone, declaring that Australia-China relations have maintained a "sound growth momentum" and pledging to expand pragmatic cooperation. The Beijing stop formed part of a broader North Asia sweep that also included Tokyo and Seoul, as the Albanese government races to shore up fuel supply chains disrupted by the Iran war. Wong insisted that coordinated regional action remains Australia's best shield against the ongoing energy crisis.