A Beijing court on Monday handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence, threatening a recent rebound in bilateral ties that followed several years of strained relations between Beijing and Canberra. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in November was the first Australian leader to visit China in seven years, hoping to improve relations between the major trading partners even as issues from human rights to tensions in the South China Sea continued to cast a pal over ties. Following is a timeline of relations between Australia and China over recent years.