China's top political advisor lauds Sino-Australian business ties
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China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin said on Wednesday China-Australia business ties have enjoyed steady and sound growth.
Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Chinese and Australian business cooperation has grown vigorously, as evidenced by the expanding scale, broadening areas and more diversified forms."Our business ties are entering a new phase of steady and sound growth," he said in an address during a welcoming luncheon held and attended by Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett and entrepreneurs from the two countries.
Jia said the two-way bilateral trade volume exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2002, surged to 88.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, and is expected to top 100 billion this year.
Jia also said China is Australia's biggest trading partner and export market, and largest source of imports. China has also become Australia's biggest export market for trade in services. He noted that Australia was the only one among China's top ten trading partners whose trade with China increased despite the international financial crisis. Australia is also the only one among all OECD countries that has escaped an economic recession.
Jia said China and Australia are also each other's important partners of investment. Enterprises of the two countries have carried out fruitful investment and cooperation in energy and mineral resource development, auto manufacturing, agriculture, energy conservation and environmental protection, financial services and telecommunications.
Jia noted that bilateral trade and economic cooperation has become more diversified. The governments of the two nations have cooperated closely in such international and regional economic affairs as tackling the international financial crisis and advancing the Doha Round negotiations and on bilateral economic and trade issues.
He said the business cooperation has extended from the traditional fields to new energy sources, energy conservation, environmental protection and finance.
Australia is the second leg of Jia's three-nation tour, which will also take him to Samoa. Jia visited Myanmar before he came to Australia.
