Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was welcomed to Canberra last week with talk of beef and plates of chicken. The visit came just over a week after Julie Bishop’s unusually direct remarks about China’s international standing and once again highlighted Australia’s delicate position balancing Beijing and Washington.

During Li Keqiang’s visit, former Australian Ambassador to China Dr Geoff Raby spoke with AIIA National Director of Communications Annabel McGilvray about the robustness of Australia’s relationship with China and the Turnbull government’s management of past and present frictions.

 Dr Geoff Raby is the former Australian Ambassador to China and the chairman and CEO of Geoff Raby & Associates. He also holds a number of non-executive, independent director positions with ASX-listed companies. 

This interview took place at AIIA NSW on 23 March prior to Raby’s presentation ‘Prometheus Bound: China the Constrained Super Power’.

Interviewed by Annabel McGilvray

Filmed by James Levy