Collaborating on new technologies and building inter-personal ties will be the focus of Anthony Albanese's second trip to the Asian powerhouse as prime minister.
The visit will centre on the annual Australia-China leaders' meeting with Premier Li Qiang, while he will also have a one-on-one with President Xi Jinping - the pair's fourth formal meeting.
Mr Albanese flies out of Sydney to the financial hub of Shanghai on Saturday morning, before visits to the capital Beijing and Chengdu in the southwestern province of Sichuan, known as the home of giant pandas.
After relations between China and Australia soured during the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor's election in 2022 precipitated a normalisation in trade and dialogue, with a return to regular high-level meetings.
But tensions remain fraught.
China's military assertiveness in the region is an increasing concern for Canberra.
A People's Liberation Army navy vessel ruffled feathers among Australian security circles in February, when it circumnavigated the continent and conducted live fire drills, causing commercial flights to be diverted.
The plight of jailed Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who is serving a suspended death sentence in China over espionage charges, is also straining the relationship.
Meanwhile, Beijing has taken issue with Australia's commitment to end Chinese-owned company Landbridge's 99-year lease of Darwin Port early on security grounds.
Mr Albanese said he would raise the full range of issues with his Chinese counterparts.
"We co-operate where we can, we disagree where we must and we're able to have those honest conversations about some of the disagreements that are there," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
But the main focus of the trip will be growing business links.
China is far and away Australia's biggest trading partner.
Two-way trade between the nations in 2024 was valued at $312 billion, more than the nation's three next-biggest partnerships combined.
The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation of business leaders, including from mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue, steelmaker BlueScope, universities Monash and UNSW, and Macquarie Bank.
Mr Albanese's first term focused on removing trade restrictions on several of Australia's traditional key exports to China - including beef, wine and barley.
This trip will look to build on those areas while developing new economic opportunities.
The prime minister was coy on whether he backed Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian's calls for an expanded free-trade agreement encompassing artificial intelligence, healthcare and clean energy.
"We'll engage constructively across the range of issues and the range of potentials that's there," Mr Albanese said.
"But certainly, in the areas such as green energy, for example, there is a real prospect of further engagement."
Green steel, in particular, will be the topic of much discussion.
"Chinese policymakers and steelmakers are serious about decarbonising the steel sector, because they have to be," said Australia China Business Council president David Olsson.
"For Australia, this presents a generational opportunity. We're one of the world's largest iron ore suppliers, and we have the renewable energy, industrial capability and investment capital to move further down the value chain."
Rio Tinto's Australian chief executive Kellie Parker said it was a valuable opportunity to deepen collaboration between suppliers and steelmakers in developing the technology.
Mr Albanese will also aim to highlight the people-to-people links between the two nations.
On Sunday, he will meet with former Socceroo Kevin Muscat, who now coaches Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port FC, and will visit the headquarters of online travel agency Trip.com to help promote Chinese tourism to Australia.
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