On March 20, 2024 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the seventh China-Australia Foreign and Strategic Dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Canberra.
Wang Yi said that when President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in November 2022, they reached important political consensus on accelerating the improvement of bilateral relations, which charted the course for joint efforts. During Penny Wong's visit to China in December 2022, they proposed that the two sides should "set out on a new journey". Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, China-Australia relations have broken the ice and set sail again, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields have gradually resumed.
Wang Yi said that this is their sixth meeting. Each time they meet, the mutual trust between the two sides will increase and China-Australia relations will move forward. This is the value of enhancing communication and the positive process of continuously increasing trust and dispelling misgivings. Wang Yi said that his visit to Australia coincides with the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to Australia and the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. It is an important year for the two sides to build on what has been achieved and chart the way forward. The two sides should build on the sound momentum of bilateral relations so far, "work together for the future", and take a more active attitude to jointly build a more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership.
Wang Yi said that the ups and downs of China-Australia relations in the past decade have not only left both sides with lessons to learn from, but also accumulated experience worth cherishing. The most fundamental thing is to uphold mutual respect. The most crucial thing is to stay committed to seeking common ground while shelving differences. The most important thing is to pursue mutual benefit and win-win results. The most precious thing is to remain independent. Since China-Australia relations are on the right track, both sides should have no hesitation, no yawing and no backward steps. Since the course forward has been charted, both sides should strive to make steady, good and sustained progress. This serves the common interests of the two peoples and also meets the common expectation of countries in the region.
Wang Yi said, China is ready to work with Australia to further prepare for high-level exchanges between the two countries, fully restart and make good use of the consultation and dialogue mechanisms established in various fields, fully leverage complementary advantages, and further tap the potential of cooperation in such fields as new energy, digital economy, green development and climate response on the basis of consolidating and developing cooperation in traditional areas of strength such as energy, mining and agricultural products, so as to constantly make the pie of common interests bigger. Wang Yi expressed the hope that the Australian side will take concrete measures to uphold the principles of market economy and the rules of fair competition, and provide a fair, just, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Australia. The two sides should continue to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges in education, culture, tourism, and youth and at the sub-national level, actively take measures to facilitate personnel exchanges, and consolidate public support for China-Australia relations. China is ready to enhance communication and understanding with Australia in international and regional affairs and make more contributions to world peace and development.
Wang Yi elaborated on China's principled position on the Taiwan question and issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Xizang and the South China Sea, stressing that there is no entanglement of historical problems or conflict of fundamental interests between China and Australia, and their common interests far outweigh the differences. The two sides should practice the basic principles of international law of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and promote the sustained, steady and sound development of bilateral relations.
Penny Wong said that Australia and China have close ties in history, trade and culture, among others, and the two countries are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners living in the same region, so differences should not define Australia-China relations. The Australian side is glad to see substantial progress in bilateral relations in recent years, and is willing to further strengthen dialogue and communication with China on the basis of mutual respect, wisely manage differences, leverage complementary advantages, continuously deepen cooperation in economy, trade, culture and other fields, and push forward the steady development of the Australia-China comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two peoples and promote regional peace and development.
The two sides agreed to resume and establish dialogue in various fields and make it play a practical role, promote more cooperation between the two countries' competent authorities of foreign affairs, economy and trade, science and technology, education and law enforcement, among others and actively consider launching a dialogue on maritime affairs. The two sides agreed to take further measures to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.
The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.
