Chinese premier focuses on critical minerals and clean energy on final day of Australian visit

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang has ending his Australian tour in the west coast city of Perth where he focused on China’s investment in critical minerals, clean energy and busines links. Li last week became the first Chinese premier to visit New Zealand then Australia in seven years. He left Perth late Tuesday to become the first premier to visit Malaysia since 2015. Li is China’s second-most powerful leader after President Xi Jinping. He inspected iron ore miner Fortescue’s clean energy research facility while in Perth. Fortescue’s chairman Andrew Forrest says Li is interested in the company’s plans to produce iron ore without carbon emissions and potentially “green iron.” Li also visited Chinese-controlled Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia’s processing plant.