China has used the animals to foster diplomatic goodwill for decades. However, with big differences between China and Australia, pandas perhaps can only do so much.
The visit by Premier Li Qiang is more of a diplomatic and business meeting that signals the continuing thaw between the countries, and is unlikely to spur any major announcements.
Aspiring business people and lawyers are taught how to work with China, but our future politicians, policymakers and journalists do not always receive the same practical instruction.
Yang’s suspended death sentence is unusual for a capital case, but appeals in China are rarely successful and Australia has very limited options to help him, short of diplomatic pressure.
Beijing focused on the shared interests and identities between China and Australia, emphasising the enduring importance of the bilateral economic relationship.
New research shows Australians of Chinese heritage are extremely concerned about the way relations between the two countries are portrayed in the media.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is travelling to China to mark the half-century anniversary of a relationship that has ridden the vicissitudes over that time.
In this podcast Michelle and politics editor Amanda Dunn discuss the significant thaw in Australia-China relations that's come with the Albanese-Xi meeting, held on the sidelines of the G20 in Bali.