China Wants New Ties with Australia

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang made a constructive and fruitful visit in Australia, warming up the relationship between the two countries.

The Rio Tinto spy case and the Xinjiang separatist Kadeer Rebiya’s visit pushed the Sino-Australian relationship into the frozen point. However, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang’s official visit in Australia brought about a turning-to-better point to their bilateral relationship. The Australian and Chinese people felt cheered up by the bettering Sino-Australian relationship.

On October 29, 2009, Li Keqiang arrived in Sydney to start his official visit in Australia.

In the airport, the Chinese Vice Premier delivered a short speech. He said that China and Australia are both important countries in Asian and Pacific areas and play important roles in maintaining the regional peace, stability and prosperity. China and Australia have had the diplomatic relationship for 37 years. During these years, the two countries are devoted to pushing forward cooperation in the aspects of economy, industry, technology, environmental protection and so on.

Li Keqiang also stated the main objects of his visit, which were to enhance the mutual understanding and to improve the cooperation between China and Australia.

In the following days, Li Keqiang subsequently met Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the government officials from New South Wales and Queensland. He also attended the singing ceremonies of several cooperation agreements between China and Australia in forestry, antique protection, education, training and telecommunication.

What was more significant was the China Australia Joint Statement, which was jointly issued by two countries’ governments in Li Keqiang’s visit in Australia. It is the first comprehensive guiding document covering the fields of politics, economy, culture and many other respects of China and Australia. According to the experts, the Statement will play an important role in guiding the development of bilateral relationship between China and Australia in the future. When some people were worried about when the shadow over Sino-Australian relationship can be swept away, the issuance of the Statement told the world that the two countries had mended the cracks in their relationship.

According to He Yafei, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, this visit was fruitful, bringing the following benefits for China and Australia:

The first one was the enhancement and improvement of the two sides’ diplomatic relationship. The two countries’ governments reached the consensus in their common interests and agreed to tackle the sensitive issues carefully and properly. The Australian government laid emphasis on respecting the Chinese integrity of dominion and domain, which was believed to be the base for healthy and long-term development of the Sino-Australian relationship.

The second one was the improvement of mutual cooperation in economy. During his visit, Li Keqiang and Australian government officials shared their opinions in fighting against financial crisis. They also attached great importance to pushing forward the cooperation in energy, mining resources, agriculture and livestock husbandry. In addition, the two countries will further spread their cooperation in high-tech, new energy, biomedical, energy saving and environmental protection. Before and in Li Keqiang’s visit, the Australian governments gave the approvals to China Yanzhou Mining’s acquiring Felix, Baosteel’s acquiring Aquila, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group’s acquiring Energy Metals Limited. The two countries also reached the agreements on telecommunications.

The third one was the promotion in cultural communication. According to the agreements signed during Li’s visit, the two countries will start a series of programs and events in education, culture and travel. In addition, China has agreed to send two pandas to the zoo in Adelaide for a 10-year research plan. This was thought to be a gift that Chinese people give to the Australians.

The fourth one was to make the Australian people know more about China. During his visit, Li Keqiang delivered a speech to the representatives of Australian industrial and commercial fields. He told them that China will try its best to develop its national economy, to boost the global prosperity and to keep the world peace. He also highlighted China’s image of being a responsible country. The audiences were all impressed by his speech and have better understandings of China.

Presently, China is the biggest trade partner for Australia while Australia is the eighth for China. In 2008, the bilateral trade volume of China and Australia was 59.66 billion US dollars. Australia is also an important energy and resource supplier for China. Furthermore, more than 100 thousand Chinese students are studying in Australia and the two countries are visited by more and more tourists from each other. Therefore, the betterment of the Sino-Australian relationship is good for the two countries, no matter in what aspects.

Though it can not be said that the two countries will have no conflicts from now on, we can see that the conflicts are less influenced than the benefits. The relationship between China and Australia have witnessed 37 years’ mutual aids in each other’s development. It is certain that the close partnership between the two countries will continue to play important roles in the future.

Appendix:

China Australia Joint Statement

First, the two sides agreed that the Sino-Australian bilateral cooperation has great potential and broad prospects. In the current global context, China and Australia to strengthen pragmatic cooperation and realize mutual benefit and win-win situation, the two countries and two peoples and the fundamental interests, but also conducive to regional and world peace, stability and prosperity. The two sides will maintain and strengthen the various high-level dialogue and exchanges, enhance cooperation in various fields of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit based on the promotion of China-Australia comprehensive cooperative relations between the long-term healthy and stable development.

Second, the two sides said that China and Australia have different conditions, will produce such as differences. The two sides should respect and give full consideration to each other’s core interests and major concerns, the spirit of mutual respect, mutual non-interference and the principle of equality and properly handle differences and sensitive issues and take effective measures to maintain health and stable development of Sino-Australian relations overall. Australia reaffirmed its December 21, 1972, “the joint communiqué of Sino-Australian diplomatic relations” on the Taiwan issue one-China position. Confirmed that the Australian side since 1972, successive Australian Government’s consistent position, that is, involving Australia, including Tibet, Xinjiang, China on issues such as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Third, China and Australia’s gross domestic product and more than five trillion U.S. dollars, the two sides agreed that the two economies are highly complementary, on the basis of mutual benefit to promote trade and investment cooperation conforms to common interests of both sides. Australia is China’s long-term stability of mineral and energy resources supplier. China is Australia’s competitive commodity supplier. The two sides will continue in accordance with market principles of mutually beneficial trade. The two sides reaffirmed their adherence to open trade and investment policy and oppose any form of protectionism, support for early completion of the World Trade Organization Doha Round negotiations. Both sides believe that through negotiations to achieve a comprehensive, high quality, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral free trade agreements long-term interests of both countries. Taking into account the negotiations have been carried out in four years, the two sides agreed to work together with a positive and pragmatic spirit, to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible. Made it clear that Australia welcomes China’s investment in China also welcomes investment in Australia. Australia believes that Australian investment in China’s continued growth is a positive progress, will further consolidate the China-Australia economic relations. The Chinese side believes that Australia increase its investment in China has a vast space. The two sides will take active measures for Chinese enterprises to facilitate trade and investment cooperation. The two sides on the recent two-way trade, investment growth were welcomed.

Fourth, the two sides agreed that China and Australia, the Asia-Pacific region in promoting peace, stability and development have important common interests. China welcomes Australia in international and regional affairs in an important role. The two sides will continue to strengthen the United Nations, the Group of 20 countries, APEC, the East Asia Summit, the Pacific Islands Forum and other multilateral mechanisms and institutions of communication and coordination, and to deal with the financial crisis, climate change, combating epidemic diseases, the prevention of mass destruction weapons proliferation and the fight against transnational crime and other issues to strengthen consultations and cooperation. China welcomes Australia’s “Asia-Pacific Community” initiative, will send a high-level delegation to the Prime Minister in December by the Australian in Sydney hosted by the initiative to explore the future development of a rail and a half international conferences. China welcomes Australia to join Asia-Europe Meeting in 2010. The two sides recognized that the Pacific island countries on matters of importance to strengthen dialogue and coordination, as well as the important role of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Fifth, the two sides agreed that the mutual understanding between the two peoples and the friendship is an important basis for Sino-Australian relations. The two sides will make joint efforts to expand bilateral friendly exchanges between local governments and cooperation, and promoting education, culture, sports, tourism and journalism fields-people exchanges. The two sides look forward to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will be successful. The two sides agreed in 2010 to 2011 held in China, “Australian Culture”, from 2011 to 2012 held in Australia, “Chinese Culture Year.”