Top trading partners to hold annual meetings
Source: Agencies |
April 10, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE Premier Li Keqiang and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday agreed to hold annual prime ministerial meetings, as Chinese money drives Australia's huge resource boom.
Li and Gillard held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the visiting leader was greeted with full military honors including cannon fired from nearby Tiananmen Square.
Australia's economy has benefited from Chinese demand for resources including iron ore, and China is now its largest trading partner with two-way business in goods and services worth A$128 billion (US$134 billion).
"Our two sides have decided that the prime ministers will have regular annual meetings either in a bilateral format or on multilateral occasions," Li said.
The Chinese premier proposed stronger finance and currency cooperation, citing a new agreement to allow the Chinese and Australian currencies to trade directly from today.
Li called for multiple means of cooperation in minerals and husbandry and expanded collaboration in rail, ports and telecoms.
He also urged quickened negotiations on a China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Gillard also called for a more broad-based economic relationship and more diversified investment.
"I am filled with optimism about the way we will be able to work together to take the relationship between our two countries forward," she said.
After the talks, Li and Gillard witnessed the signing of a series of agreements covering recyclable energy, finance, drug control and development aid.
Australia, which has a long-standing military alliance with the United States, also engages in defense cooperation with China, with which it has conducted live-fire naval exercises.
Cultural exchanges are also growing. China provides the greatest number of overseas students to Australia with 150,000 enrolments in 2012, and the second largest source of overseas visitors - 626,000 last year.
Gillard said Australia is hoping to see trilateral naval exercises with China and the United States and is pursuing a new strategic partnership with Asia's biggest economy.
Speaking at a trade forum in Beijing, Gillard said Australia was seeking more cooperation with China in clean energy and emissions trading.
Gillard said defense cooperation between China and Australia was likely to be strengthened, nearly three years after the two countries held bilateral naval drills, and said that would help bring stability to the region.
"Over time, we would like to see this extended to trilateral naval exercises including the United States," she said yesterday at the Australia China Economic and Trade Forum.
Australia has positioned itself as the strongest US ally in the Asia-Pacific region and it is also seeking firmer defense ties with China.
Li and Gillard held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the visiting leader was greeted with full military honors including cannon fired from nearby Tiananmen Square.
Australia's economy has benefited from Chinese demand for resources including iron ore, and China is now its largest trading partner with two-way business in goods and services worth A$128 billion (US$134 billion).
"Our two sides have decided that the prime ministers will have regular annual meetings either in a bilateral format or on multilateral occasions," Li said.
The Chinese premier proposed stronger finance and currency cooperation, citing a new agreement to allow the Chinese and Australian currencies to trade directly from today.
Li called for multiple means of cooperation in minerals and husbandry and expanded collaboration in rail, ports and telecoms.
He also urged quickened negotiations on a China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Gillard also called for a more broad-based economic relationship and more diversified investment.
"I am filled with optimism about the way we will be able to work together to take the relationship between our two countries forward," she said.
After the talks, Li and Gillard witnessed the signing of a series of agreements covering recyclable energy, finance, drug control and development aid.
Australia, which has a long-standing military alliance with the United States, also engages in defense cooperation with China, with which it has conducted live-fire naval exercises.
Cultural exchanges are also growing. China provides the greatest number of overseas students to Australia with 150,000 enrolments in 2012, and the second largest source of overseas visitors - 626,000 last year.
Gillard said Australia is hoping to see trilateral naval exercises with China and the United States and is pursuing a new strategic partnership with Asia's biggest economy.
Speaking at a trade forum in Beijing, Gillard said Australia was seeking more cooperation with China in clean energy and emissions trading.
Gillard said defense cooperation between China and Australia was likely to be strengthened, nearly three years after the two countries held bilateral naval drills, and said that would help bring stability to the region.
"Over time, we would like to see this extended to trilateral naval exercises including the United States," she said yesterday at the Australia China Economic and Trade Forum.
Australia has positioned itself as the strongest US ally in the Asia-Pacific region and it is also seeking firmer defense ties with China.
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