Xi emphasizes treating each other as equals and seeking common ground

China and Australia vowed on July 15 to enhance bilateral ties and work together to uphold multilateralism and free trade and jointly cope with global challenges amid the transformation and turbulence in the international landscape.

During their meeting in Beijing, President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed their commitment to adhering to the principle of “seeking common ground while shelving differences” in further promoting ties between the two countries to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation.

Premier Li Qiang held a grand welcoming ceremony on July 15 for Albanese, who started a weeklong official visit to China on July 12, spanning Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu in Sichuan province.

The two prime ministers witnessed the signing of a slew of cooperation documents in the fields of trade, customs, tourism, and agriculture after co-chairing the 10th China-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting. In a statement issued after the meeting, both prime ministers reiterated the importance of a mature, stable, and constructive bilateral relationship.

Xi told the Australian prime minister that the “turnaround” of China-Australia relations has proved that “adhering to the principles of treating each other as equals, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation” is in line with the fundamental interests of both China and Australia as well as their peoples.

Regardless of how the international situation evolves, this overarching principle should be unwaveringly upheld, he said.

Xi underlined the need for both countries to make consistent efforts to enhance strategic mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen people-to-people bonds, and jointly cope with global risks and challenges.

China’s determination for peaceful development will not waver, its commitment to common development will remain steadfast, and its policy to promote cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region will not change, he said.

China advocates that countries promote unity and cooperation, advance the construction of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, facilitate the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and promote regional peace, development, and prosperity, he added.

Noting that China has been Australia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, he stressed the importance of enhancing the alignment of the countries’ development strategies and creating a favorable business environment for enterprises in both countries.

Amid the complex and changing international situation, all countries should collaborate to uphold international fairness and justice, support multilateralism and free trade, defend the international system with the United Nations at the core, and the world order underpinned by international law, Xi said.

Albanese affirmed the positive progress in Australia-China relations in recent years, saying that Canberra attaches great importance to its ties with China.

He assured Xi that Australia adheres to the one-China policy and does not support “Taiwan independence”.

While recognizing that China’s development is vital to Australia, the Australian prime minister pledged that Australia does not seek decoupling from the Chinese economy.

Australia is willing to maintain unimpeded trade with China and promote pragmatic cooperation in fields such as green industry, climate change response, and medical technology to seek mutually beneficial, win-win results, he said.

Albanese also expressed Australia’s commitment to working with China to uphold multilateralism.

China-Australia relations have been improving since Albanese took office in 2022. This visit marked his second China trip within less than two years, with the previous visit in November 2023.

Last December, China lifted import restrictions on Australian lobsters, which had been strained since 2017. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

While meeting entrepreneurs attending the 8th China-Australia CEO Roundtable Meeting in Beijing with Albanese, Premier Li said economic and trade cooperation between China and Australia has shown strong resilience and vitality, despite some twists and turns.

Li highlighted the strong economic complementarity between China and Australia, and called for higher-quality cooperation in trade and investment.

Albanese highlighted his government’s commitment to stabilizing the relationship between Australia and China, saying that greater engagement and collaboration are in the interest of both nations, as well as in the interest of global economic activity in today’s turbulent world.

While emphasizing the importance of the Chinese market for Australia, he said, “It is important that we learn from shared success and plan for common challenges.”

Attending the meeting, Bran Black, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, said that economic and business relations between Australia and China are strong and robust, and Australian businesses see much greater opportunities to further deepening economic ties with China.

Zhao Huan, chairman of China Development Bank, said the Chinese business community wants to collaborate with Australian companies to fully explore the potential of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and address mutual concerns regarding trade and investment.

On July 15, Albanese also met in Beijing with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body.

Contact the writer at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn