By Peter Hobson and Ella Cao CANBERRA/BEIJING (Reuters) -Canberra is close to an agreement with Beijing that would allow Australian suppliers to ship five trial canola cargoes to China, sources familiar with the matter said,

China's Ministry of Commerce and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the implementation and review of China-Australia free trade agreement (FTA),

Premier Li Qiang called on Tuesday for China and Australia to further strengthen higher-quality cooperation and create a stronger synergy for development to effectively address uncertainties.

Major miner BHP has said it is too costly for Australia to build a "green iron" industry after the country and China agreed this week to jointly work to decarbonise the steel supply chain, responsible for nearly a tenth of global emissions.

Australia is now less sensitive to China, but Chinese growth is likely to be enough to keep the iron ore price elevated.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has kicked off a visit to China meant to shore up relations between the two countries

A live-fire exercise involving the Mid-Range Capability missile system took place in Australia as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been serenaded with warmth, reverence and classic Australian rock music in Beijing, but critics have warned the tune is off key.

The Global Times described the China-Australia relationship as “flying in the stratosphere” but warned of “third-party interference”.