BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, held talks with Australia's Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, in Beijing on Sunday.
Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China is willing to work with Australia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen friendly exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, and promote the sustained and stable development of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.
Zhao pointed out that in recent years, with the joint efforts of China and Australia, their bilateral relations have continued to improve and develop, and cooperation in various fields has steadily advanced. He said facts show that upholding the principle of equality, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation align with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people.
Both sides should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and handle differences and sensitive issues properly, Zhao noted. Zhao also called on both sides to deepen pragmatic cooperation, consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Australia friendship, and enhance multilateral coordination.
Zhao stressed that the NPC of China is willing to work with the Parliament of Australia to strengthen friendly exchanges at all levels of the legislature, engage in candid exchanges of views on issues of mutual concern, advance the formulation of legal instruments conducive to bilateral cooperation, and enhance communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Zhao also introduced China's progress in advancing green development, noting that China is willing to exchange experiences and deepen cooperation with Australia to jointly contribute to the global green transformation.
Noting that Australia-China relations are currently developing steadily, with pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and that both countries are benefiting from in-depth economic and trade exchanges, Dick said Australia adheres to the one-China policy and seeks to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in areas such as trade, culture, agriculture, mining, climate change response, and artificial intelligence to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
The Australian House of Representatives stands ready to strengthen communication and exchanges with the NPC of China to provide guarantees for pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, contribute to the development of Australia-China relations, and benefit the people of both countries, Dick added. ■
