Photo: VCG
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China-Australia ties have recently been steadily advancing,
MK sports Korea with practical cooperation in various fields gradually progressing, and subnational as well as people-to-people exchanges becoming more active, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Vientiane, Laos, the report said.
The meeting indicates a stabilization and warming of ties between the two countries, a Chinese expert said. It shows China's sincerity in improving ties with Australia and it is hoped that Australia will meet China halfway to allow for the evolution of bilateral relations and increased cooperation, the expert said.
The progress shows that China-Australia relations are promising as long as the two sides continue to work toward a common goal, Li added.
Highlighting the mutually beneficial and win-win nature of China-Australia ties, Li said China is ready to share more development opportunities with Australia, Xinhua reported.
Albanese said that the current development momentum of Australia-China relations is positive and stable with dialogues in diplomatic, economic and other fields being carried out intensively, Xinhua reported.
The meeting shows that the relationship between the two countries has stabilized and is improving, moving in a warmer direction, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"Since Albanese took office, there has been a strong effort to strengthen the bilateral relationship, and China has responded positively. Through mutual efforts, we have witnessed significant progress in economic and trade relations. Almost all major previous obstacles have been addressed, paving the way for a more robust partnership," Chen said.
Australia's prime minister said after meeting the Chinese premier that China will resume importing Australian lobsters by the end of the year, ABC News reported.
In response to the reported lobster resumption, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that China stands ready to work with Australia to continue properly resolving issues of each other's concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to build more mature and stable bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples.
"The willingness to improve bilateral relations is rooted in the common interests of both nations and embodies a mutually beneficial partnership. China is Australia's largest trading partner, and Australian premium products are well-received in the vast and rapidly growing Chinese market," Chen said.
If both countries continue to focus on mutual benefits, especially if Australia can get rid of the tendency of third-party interference and maintain political wisdom and strategic prudence in its perception of China's development, the future of the bilateral relationship looks bright and full of potential, Chen said.
