Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Australian Prime
Minister John Howard held talks Thursday and agreed to strengthen
dialogue and push forward the all-round development of bilateral
ties.
During their talks in Australia's largest city of Sydney, the
two leaders also pledged to enhance mutual trust and deepen
cooperation.
Hu also put forward the following four-point proposal on
enhancing bilateral ties:
First, both countries maintain closer high-level exchanges;
strengthen strategic dialogue and bilateral contacts among
legislative bodies and political parties.
The two countries agreed to establish an annual strategic
dialogue mechanism and hoped to increase dialogue and strengthen
coordination on important issues concerning long-term development
of bilateral ties as well as world peace and development, the
Chinese president said.
"I hope such mechanism will contribute to pushing forward the
long-term, healthy and steady development of bilateral ties," said
the Chinese president.
Second, both countries take steps to deepen economic and trade
cooperation to achieve a win-win situation of mutual benefit.
The two countries should expand cooperation in sustainable
development, including clean energy, environmental protection,
climate change and water resources, Hu said.
Third, the two sides increase people-to-people exchanges,
enhance friendship, strengthen cooperation and support the increase
of contact among the youth.
Fourth, China and Australia strengthen communications and
coordination, and build a harmonious Asia-Pacific region through
joint efforts.
The two countries should strengthen cooperation within the
frameworks of the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation and Pacific Islands Forum, and promote efforts by the
countries in the region to achieve common security based on mutual
trust and mutual benefit, equality and coordination, he said.
In the past 35 years since the two countries established
diplomatic ties, the all-round development of bilateral ties has
brought substantial benefits to both peoples and contributed to
peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, the
Chinese president said.
China and Australia, both as nations of significant influence,
shoulder important responsibilities of safeguarding and promoting
peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, he
added.
"We hope China and Australia would become not only each other's
major trading partners, but also constructive cooperative partners
in regional and international affairs," Hu said.
China attaches great importance to developing its relations with
Australia and is ready to develop bilateral ties from a long-term
and strategic perspective and in an all-round way, Hu added.
On the Taiwan question, Hu said it concerns China's core
interests, national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China,
with great sincerity, will do its utmost to safeguard peace and
stability across the Taiwan Straits and promote the healthy
development of relations across the Taiwan Straits, Hu said. "The
Chinese government will do its utmost to achieve a peaceful
settlement of the Taiwan question, but will never allow anyone to
attempt to separate Taiwan from its motherland by any means," Hu
added.
The Australian government has reaffirmed its adherence to the
one China policy and opposition to "Taiwan independence" in
numerous occasions, Hu said.
China appreciates the Australian government's stance and hopes
it will continue to support the Chinese people's efforts to
safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he
said.
Howard lauded the strong ties between Australia and China,
saying the two countries have seen quick development in bilateral
trade, educational cooperation and personnel exchanges in the past
10 years.
He pointed out that China's development benefits not only China,
but Australia and the whole world as well. Australia is engaged in
a long-term development of ties with China and ready to increase
strategic dialogue with it and expand cooperation in all fields, he
added.
The Australian prime minister stressed that his country has
always adhered to the one China policy and will not change this
stand. Australia does not support the Taiwan authority in its
attempt to seek UN membership and opposes any of its provocations,
he said.
Following their talks, officials of the two countries signed a
series of documents on bilateral cooperation.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic ties between China and Australia. In 2006, the two
countries agreed to develop a relationship of comprehensive and
mutually beneficial cooperation in the 21st century.
In recent years, cooperation between the two countries has been
expanding steadily in a wide range of fields such as economy,
trade, energy, environmental protection, culture, science and
technology, education and tourism.
Hu started his state visit to Australia on Monday, the second
since 2003.
On Thursday, Hu addressed the opening ceremony of the APEC
Business Summit and expounded China's views on advancing
comprehensive cooperation among the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) members in pursuit of sustainable development in
the region and the world at large.
On Saturday and Sunday, Hu will attend the Economic Leaders
Meeting of the APEC forum in Sydney, and meet with leaders of other
APEC members on the sidelines of the meeting.
Joint efforts against int'l crime
China and Australia inked treaties on extradition and the
transfer of sentenced persons on Thursday to strengthen their
cooperation against international crime.
The Treaty on Extradition between the People's Republic of China
and Australia, and the Treaty between the People's Republic of
China and Australia Concerning Transfer of Sentenced Persons were
jointly signed by China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi
and Australia’s Attorney-General Philip Ruddock.
The two treaties will ensure that China and Australia are in a
strong position to effectively combat domestic and trans-national
crime and that neither country becomes a safe haven for fugitive
criminals, said a press release issued by the Australia n
Attorney-General's office.
The two countries signed the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
Matters Treaty, which came into force in March 2007.
Joint statement on climate change, energy
China and Australia issued a joint statement Thursday, pledging
to work together to address climate change and energy issues in
ways consistent with each other's economic growth aspirations.
In the statement, the two countries expressed their satisfaction
with bilateral cooperation on climate change and energy issues,
particularly in the areas of coal mine methane recovery, energy
efficiency, climate change science and agriculture.
China and Australia also attach importance to the role nuclear
power, with suitable safeguards, can play in coping with climate
change, noting that recent agreements between the two governments
will enhance bilateral substantive cooperation, the statement
said.
Both countries reaffirm their commitment to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its objectives
and principles and agree to enhance their dialogue and cooperation
within the framework of the UNFCCC, it added.
In the statement, China and Australia also reaffirmed their
commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and
Climate, lauded the progress made since the partnership was
established in Sydney in January 2006, and pledged to continue to
facilitate relevant cooperation projects.
The two countries also vowed to promote the development,
deployment and transfer of improved and cost-effective
low-emissions technology under frameworks of regional and
multilateral partnerships.
In addition, they committed themselves to advancing the APEC
Energy Working Group agenda in key areas such as achieving energy
security, promoting energy efficiency, expanding energy investment
and facilitating trade.
The two countries further agreed to strengthen cooperation on
sustainable forestry management in the face of climate change,
particularly through the UNFCCC and under the Global Initiative on
Forests and Climate.
Over the matter of forestry management, the Australia n side
said that it supports China's proposal for setting up an
Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and
Rehabilitation, saying it has the potential to make a valuable
contribution to the regional efforts to achieve sustainable
forestry management and curb climate change.
The two countries welcomed the establishment of the Joint
Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technology, believing it will
enhance bilateral cooperation and make a major contribution to
improving the economic and environmental performance of coal use
globally. They promised to strengthen the important role of the
Joint Coordination Group under which a series of projects will be
undertaken.
The statement also mentioned a number of other projects that are
under development in areas such as skills training to assess the
geological storage potential for CO2, enhanced coal bed methane
trials and solar thermal energy technology.
Both countries also welcomed the joint research under the
China-Australia Special Fund for Scientific and Technological
Cooperation, notably in the areas of air quality, climate change
and renewable energy sources, and agreed to continue cooperation on
coal mine safety.
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(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)
