Economic ties, human rights and North Korea will all be on the agenda when Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets with Chinese leaders in Beijing this week.
Ms Gillard arrived in the Chinese capital on Monday night for two days of meetings with political and business leaders.
In her first visit to the Asian powerhouse in more than a decade, Ms Gillard will meet with Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday and President Hu Jintao on Wednesday.
Predictably, given China's status as Australia's top trading partner, economic links will be top of her agenda.
But Ms Gillard has indicated she will not shy away from the topics that tend to anger China's ruling communist party, such as human rights.
"We've got a constructive relationship with China but we do have differences," she told reporters in Seoul on Monday.
Ms Gillard is also likely to raise the fate of Australians who have fallen foul of China's legal system, such as businessman Stern Hu.
The PM also says she will raise North Korea with China, the key backer of Kim Jong-il's regime.
Ms Gillard will also attend some major business events, including one event to be attended by BHP Billiton boss Marius Kloppers and Rio Tinto boss Sam Walsh.
