Part 2/9:
The Prime Minister recently returned from a six-day tour of China, an engagement he promoted with images of pandas and walks along the Great Wall. This visit was portrayed as a symbol of constructive engagement, especially when contrasted with the previous government's handling of relations with China. Under the previous coalition government, there was a notable absence of direct ministerial communication with China—no phone calls or meetings—during a period when tensions and uncertainty about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant diplomatic freeze.