Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stressed the need for more stability in Australia's relationship with China, following the prime minister's historic visit.
Anthony Albanese met with China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing, being the first prime minister to visit the country in seven years.
Tariffs have been removed on several Australian products following years of trade disputes, with the removal of other sanctions on goods like wine expected to follow.
While Senator Wong said the visit by the prime minister was a critical step forward, further work would be needed on the relationship.
"This is a relationship where we seek more stability, and so does China. A stable relationship doesn't mean we're going to agree on everything," she told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"What it means is that we can continue to grow the relationship in a way that's consistent with our national interests."
The foreign minister, who was also in Beijing for the high-level talks, said international law, including issues on the South China Sea, featured in the discussion with President Xi.
"We've been clear with China there are things on which we will not agree, whether they be human rights or behaviours in the South China Sea, where we argue that we do not want to see destabilising actions," she said.
"We should continue to engage because China is a consequential country in our region, so it matters for Australia's security, whether it's economic security or national security more broadly."
Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie welcomed the recent visit to China, but remained cautious on the outcome of the meeting.
"The real outcome will be over the next few weeks and that is what China does to demonstrate good faith through the bilateral meeting that was conducted," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"We're looking for the release of (detained Australian writer) Dr Yang Hengjun, we'd like to see all sanctions lifted against Australian primary producers who were hurt very badly over the last few years."
