Time to advance bilateral relations with steady progress: Chinese ambassador to Australia

CANBERRA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian has called for advancing bilateral relations with steady progress in a newly published opinion piece.

The healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations serves the interests of both countries and enjoys the firm support of the two peoples, said the article published in The Australian Financial Review on Monday.

"China stands ready to work with Australia to strengthen high-level guidance, enhance political mutual trust, properly manage differences, focus on common interests, and promote greater development of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Xiao said.

Reflecting on the past three years, Xiao noted that joint efforts have led to a comprehensive turnaround in diplomatic ties. High-level meetings between the two countries' leaders have helped resume dialogue mechanisms, enhance mutual understanding and expand practical cooperation.

The China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has entered the second decade, another important epoch of development, Xiao said.

He highlighted both countries' shared goals -- China is committed to advancing high-quality development, while Australia is devoted to enhancing productivity, suggesting that strengthened cooperation would benefit both sides.

Xiao called for strengthening high-level guidance and consolidating institutional dialogue and exchanges between the countries. He also pointed to the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) as "an important engine in boosting bilateral economic and trade cooperation," with China remaining Australia's largest trading partner for 16 years.

At the 10th anniversary of the FTA implementation, Xiao encouraged further bilateral collaboration in traditional areas such as agriculture and mining, while also exploring emerging fields like artificial intelligence, healthcare, green energy, and the digital economy.

The ambassador also underscored the importance of people-to-people exchanges, noting the significant presence of Chinese students, tourists, and residents in Australia, as well as over 100 sister-city and province partnerships.

On the international stage, Xiao urged closer cooperation between China and Australia within multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations, G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, uphold international rules and order, and advocate for free trade, injecting more stability and certainty into a world of turbulence and transformation.