China will focus on the development of long-term economic and trade relations with Australia, and will make efforts to address the concerns of both countries on the basis of equality, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokeswoman Shu Jueting said on Thursday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th June, 2023) China will focus on the development of long-term economic and trade relations with Australia, and will make efforts to address the concerns of both countries on the basis of equality, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokeswoman Shu Jueting said on Thursday.
"During the next stage, China is ready, together with the Australian party, to implement the consensus achieved between the leaders of both countries and to focus on the long-term development of China-Australia economic and trade relations," she told a briefing.�
Shu noted that China will "strive to achieve unity, while at the same time maintaining diversity."
"(We will strive) to expand mutual interests, make efforts to address each other's concerns in business and trade on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and to facilitate the high-quality development of our bilateral economic and trade relations," she said.� � �
�The spokeswoman emphasized that China and Australia had been working in close coordination with each other at various levels since the beginning of the year.�
On February 6, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao spoke with his Australian counterpart, Don Farrell, during the first bilateral meeting since 2019, which was widely interpreted as a sign both sides wanted to mend ties. On March 15, China lifted the ban on Australian coal imposed at the end of 2020. On April 11, Canberra suspended its lawsuit to the World Trade Organization against Beijing after an agreement on Australian barley was reached.
However, China and Australia still have tensions with relation to both countries' national security despite a potential thaw in economic ties.�In March, China expressed serious concern over the establishment of a trilateral security partnership (AUKUS) between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and their plans to build nuclear submarines. Beijing added that the three countries were walking a wrong and dangerous road, pursuing their own geopolitical ends and ignoring the concerns of the international community.
