China's Premier Li Qiang Faces Protests in Australia

Protesters and supporters gathered on the lawn outside parliament house in the Australian capital Canberra, where there was a heavy police presence, as a ceremonial welcome was held for China's Premier Li Qiang.

Protesters told the media they were there to protest China's handling of issues such as human rights in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Li met  in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years, with trade ties, regional security and a jailed Australian writer on the host's agenda.

The visit by Li, China's top-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, marks a stabilization in relations between the U.S. security ally and the world's second-biggest economy, after a frosty period of Beijing blocking $20 billion in Australian exports and friction over defense encounters.

Chinese premier Li Qiang was met with both warmth and hostility as he arrived in Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The highly anticipated visit by Beijing's second most powerful leader started with a ceremonial welcome, including a cannon salute, on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra.

The welcome was contrasted by chanting in the background, with a significant pro-China presence clashing with the Australian Tibetan community and the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, vocally opposing Li's visit.

Police have been forced to intervene from time to time as the protesters confront one another.

The tense fighting paints a backdrop for tough questions, as Albanese is expected to raise trade, human rights and the South China Sea, which threatens the relationship's thaw.

Li declared that Chinese-Australian ties were "back on track after a period of twists and turns" when he arrived on the weekend, for the first visit by a Chinese premier in seven years.