Equality, mutual understanding and cooperation steady relations

The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Tuesday served to provide strategic guidance for the healthy development of bilateral relations.

The easing of the tensions in China-Australia relations started at the beginning of Albanese's first term in May 2022. With the joint efforts of both sides, China-Australia relations have since emerged from their low point and achieved a turnaround. "Mechanisms for dialogue and exchange across various sectors have been resumed, mutual understanding enhanced, and practical cooperation between the two nations expanded," Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said in an article.

As President Xi said, the most important insight this gives the two sides is that treating each other as equals, seeking common ground while shelving differences and engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation serve the fundamental interests of the two sides. No matter how the international situation changes, they should continue in this general direction.

With the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership entering its second decade, and both countries facing new economic development tasks — China is committed to advancing high-quality development and Australia devoted to enhancing productivity — Beijing stands ready to work with Canberra to further advance their relations to bring greater benefits to the two peoples.

A requisite for that to happen is that the two sides should continue to enhance strategic mutual trust, adhere to mutual understanding and consolidate the foundation of mutual respect. Despite the attempts of some parties to smear China on the world stage, Australia should realize that China will not waver in its determination to pursue peaceful development or the policy of promoting cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific.

China advocates solidarity and cooperation among all countries to promote the construction of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and regional peace, development and prosperity.

China and Australia are both beneficiaries and defenders of the postwar international order. China is willing to build consensus with Australia on international and regional issues and strengthen cooperation under multilateral frameworks. It is in Australia's interest to meet China halfway in that direction.

China and Australia are natural economic and trade partners with their complementary economic and industrial strengths. Over the past decade, since the bilateral free trade agreement came into effect, it has served as a key booster for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. China has been and will continue to be a vast and stable market for Australia's exports.

They can create the necessary conditions to upgrade their FTA and further strengthen collaboration in agriculture and mining as well as exploring new growth areas in emerging fields, such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, green energy and the digital economy.

So the two sides, as Xi urged, should promote the docking of development strategies, effectively create a good business environment for enterprises of the two countries, create more points of convergence of interests and continuously improve the level and quality of cooperation.

It is good to hear Albanese say that Australia seeks to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and it doesn't want to decouple from the Chinese economy. The country is willing to maintain smooth bilateral trade, promote pragmatic cooperation and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. He also stressed Australia's willingness to adhere to multilateralism with China, support the United Nations to play an important role, jointly safeguard free trade and the rules of the World Trade Organization and provide more stability and certainty for the world.

If the two sides can carry on the positive momentum of their ties, they can better safeguard international fairness and justice, protect multilateralism and free trade, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable manner.