Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi meets with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on July 13, 2023 in Jakarta. Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

If the direction is set right, China and Australia should stick to it and stay on track, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi said during a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Jakarta on Thursday.

With the joint efforts of both sides, China-Australia relations have stabilized and improved. Facts have once again proved that as long as China and Australia stay true to their commitment when they established diplomatic relations and adhere to the right way to conduct state-to-state relations, the bilateral relationship can and should develop well, the Chinese senior diplomat said.

The two sides should maintain and consolidate the current good momentum, so that the bilateral relations will continue to be stable and practical with further progress, noted Wang.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972, Australia and China have established extensive ties and achieved remarkable results in cooperation in various fields, Wong said.

China and Australia have highly complementary economies with huge potential for cooperation. We hope that Australia will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to invest in Australia, Wang said.

The two sides should respect and treat each other as equals, appropriately handle differences, make a friendly atmosphere of mutual understanding and appreciation, and bring more tangible benefits to the people of China and Australia, Wang noted.

Good Australia-China relations are in the interests of both sides, and Australia will continue to uphold mutual respect, equal cooperation and candid communication in line with the original spirit of the establishment of diplomatic relations, to safeguard the interests of their respective countries, pushing forward greater progress in advancing the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, Wong noted.

Global Times