China Australia Photo: VCG

A spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) confirmed on Thursday that China and Australia are in close communication on the arrangements for Australian trade minister Don Farrell's visit to China and said China welcomes mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation and exchanges between enterprises of the two countries. 
 
Shu Jueting, spokesperson from the ministry made the remarks in response to a report released by Australia's media outlet Financial Review on Sunday saying that a delegation of 15 senior Australian company executives and local government officials will travel to China next week in what will be the first industry delegation to visit the country for three years.

According to the report, HSBC Australia, Telstra, ANZ Banking Group and Rio Tinto are among the companies sending representatives on the six-day visit, from April 23, to the industrial and commercial hubs of Hong Kong, Tianjin and Shenzhen.

"China and Australia have highly complementary economic structures and are important economic and trade partners for each other," Shu said.

In 2022, the two-way trade between the two countries totaled $220.9 billion. In the first quarter this year, the bilateral trade volume reached about $58.8 billion, up 10.9 percent year-on-year. 

Mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides in the economic and trade fields is in the common interest of the two countries and peoples, Shu noted.

"China will unswervingly promote a high level of opening-up, deepen cooperation in global industrial chain and supply chain. The door to the world will be opened wider and wider, and China's development will bring broader markets and opportunities for enterprises from all countries, including Australia," the spokesperson added.

During  video talks between the Chinese and Australian trade ministers in February this year, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao invited Australian Trade Minister Farrell to visit China, and Farrell accepted the invitation. "China and Australia are in close communication on the specific arrangements for Farrell's visit to China," Shu revealed.

Premiers of Australian states have been visiting China too, amid thawing bilateral relations, eyeing to further deepen trade and economic cooperation with its largest trading partner, while the ongoing visit of Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan being the latest representation despite some voices hyping about "decoupling." 

In an interview with the Global Times on Wednesday, McGowan highlighted a strong and beneficial bilateral relationship, stressing the calls for "decoupling" "are now in the past" and now there is "an appetite for a better relationship with China" after the new federal government took office. 

According to the data released by the General Administration of Customs of China on April 13, Australia's exports to China reached 268.6 billion yuan ($39.06 billion) in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent, reversing the decline in Australia's exports to China in the same period last year. 

Experts noted that China-Australia economic and trade had seen substantial improvement, and it is hoped that the Australian government will actively maintain the hard-won rebound seen in bilateral economic and trade and refrain from doing anything to harm China-Australia ties.

Global Times