Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Monday that with the acceleration of change unprecedented in the past century, China-Australia co-operation is not only in the common interests of the two countries, but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.
Xiao said while addressing the Australian Financial Review Business Summit:
China and Australia are major powers in the Pacific. Our two economies are highly complementary. Our co-operation is mutually beneficial in nature.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Australia. Xiao said:
Comprehensive means China and Australia could co-operate in all possible fields and at all possible levels. Strategic means the relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and taken on growing regional and global significance. Partnership means China and Australia are friends, not foes, partners, not adversaries.
He also emphasised the importance of practical co-operation for both China and Australia. Xiao added:
We should not only continue to consolidate and deepen co-operation between China and Australia in traditional areas such as energy, mining, agriculture, education, tourism, etc, but also explore co-operation in emerging areas such as addressing climate change, electric vehicle, artificial intelligence, health industry, green and digital economy, scientific and technological innovation.
The ambassador believes that these efforts will not only help strengthen the existing co-operation between the two countries, but also help open a new chapter of even wider mutually beneficial co-operation. He said it is very important for China and Australia to form a correct view of each other, deepen practical co-operation and properly handle differences.
