Australia’s relationship with China has undergone a rollercoaster of twists and turns, and while there is a desire to manage their differences, China’s diplomat says it must be achieved without third party involvement.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to Canberra on Wednesday as the two meet for the sixth time.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Labor government have spent months rekindling the bilateral relationship, taking a trip to China in November – the first by an Australian prime minister since 2016.

Mr Wang said Australia and China could learn from political tensions under previous governments.

“The past twists and turns over the decade leave us with lessons to draw on as well as valuable experience,” he said.

“The development of our relations does not target any third party and should not be affected, or disrupted by any third party.

“Relations are now on the right track, so we shouldn’t hesitate, we shouldn’t let it veer off course and shouldn’t go backwards.”

The US secretary of state Anthony Blinken on Tuesday recommitted to defending the Philippines, a regional rival to China.

This prompted backlash from Beijing, which has said the US had “no right to intervene” as it is not party to issues in the South China Sea.

While Senator Wong has acknowledged differences remain, she and Mr Wang say they will work to uphold their common interests.

“Australia will always be Australia and China will always be China,” she said during opening remarks.

“It is in all of our interests to commit to preventative architecture to reduce the risk of conflict and that communication never be withheld as punishment or offered as reward,” she said.

China’s tariffs on wine, lobster and beef are expected to be high on their agenda, but Senator Wong says she will also speak about Australian’s detained in China, human rights, maritime security, and international issues including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and violence in the Middle East.

Beijing has signalled a willingness to lift punitive tariffs on Australian wine by the end of the month after an interim recommendation for its review into the measures found they should be scrapped. 

Crippling impediments on Australian beef and lobster also remain in place.

It is unlikely there will be a concrete announcement on either but a pathway to the removal of the tariffs could be outlined, even if only in private, China expert Ben Herscovitch said.

“It’s a really significant, high-profile visit and both sides want something significant to come out of it,” he said.

But there are calls for a support package for the industry, after Nationals Leader David Littleproud warned it could take time for producers to get back on their feet even if the tariffs are removed this month. 

The case of Australian Yang Hengjun will also be high on the agenda, with Senator Wong set to raise opposition to the suspended death penalty handed down against the writer by a Chinese court. 

Dr Yang faces life in prison after his two-year suspended death sentence following national security charges the writer and the Australian government have always denied.

But it was unlikely there would be any headway in the case as there was with detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei who was released by China last year given the writer’s charges were on national security grounds, Dr Herscovitch said.

Mr Wang is also set to meet with business leaders on Thursday.

This post was originally published on Michael West.