Chinese VP urges closer Australia trade ties

BEIJING - Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang called for closer trade ties with Australia while speaking at a business forum on Tuesday.

Wang and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard met with participants of the third China-Australia CEO Roundtable on Tuesday in Beijing .

China and Australia agreed to foster a strategic partnership built upon mutual trust and mutual benefit during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2013, which ran April 6-8.

Wang said the two countries should deepen cooperation in energy and mineral resources, agriculture and the service industry in line with the newly forged strategic partnership.

He called on the two sides to jointly resist trade and investment protectionism, create a sound environment for bilateral trade, in a bid to boost the comprehensive development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Gillard said Australia has viewed bilateral trade cooperation from a strategic height and is willing to enhance communication with China's business community.

She expressed hope that the two sides can deepen cooperation in areas including service industries such as those concerning finance, law, architecture, healthcare and senior citizens.

She also said she expects enhanced cooperation in the fields of energy saving, emission reduction and renewable resources.

Australia welcomes Chinese investment, said Gillard, adding that the country will simplify the approval procedure for Chinese investment as well as the entry process for Chinese visitors.

The third China-Australia CEO Roundtable was held by China's Ministry of Commerce and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.