China Premier Li Qiang kicked off his four-day visit to Australia on Sunday (June 16) by announcing Beijing would provide a new pair of pandas to Australia's Adelaide Zoo after the current pair returns to China later this year.

Li, China's second-highest ranked official, arrived in the South Australian state capital late on Saturday, saying bilateral relations were "back on track" as he started the first trip by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven years.

China, Australia's largest trade partner, imposed restrictions on a raft of Australian agricultural and mineral exports in 2020 during a diplomatic dispute that has now largely eased.

On Sunday, Li's first official stop was to visit a pair of pandas on loan from China to Adelaide's zoo, where Australian Broadcasting Corp television showed crowds gathered, some waving Chinese flags, while others held signs that read "No more panda propaganda".

At the zoo, Li announced the pandas would return to China in November and the zoo would get to select two new giant pandas, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

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