Canberra can reboot relations by showing fresh mindset

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne's visit to China, which starts on Wednesday, is clearly a positive move taken by the two sides to reset bilateral ties. With a new government taking office in Canberra in August, the two countries are now in a better position to mend broken fences and recalibrate their cooperation.

Payne's visit, the first official Australian ministerial visit in 18 months, will help defuse the lingering suspicion and anxiety that have stalled high-level contacts.

Although the two sides have had brief exchanges when their diplomats met on multilateral platforms in recent months, there is no denying the fact that relations between the two countries have remained strained since last year.