Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called on China and Australia to further strengthen cooperation, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and build a stronger synergy for development to effectively address uncertainties.
Speaking at the 8th China-Australia CEO Roundtable held in Beijing, Li noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Over the past decade, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has shown great resilience and vitality, he said.
Li emphasized that the economic structures of China and Australia are highly complementary and the foundation for industrial and market integration is solid, making them natural partners. He said China’s vast market continues to unlock significant consumption potential, creating more opportunities for enterprises in both countries.
He urged the two sides to deepen cooperation in cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence and life sciences to better empower their industries, and to accelerate joint efforts in clean energy, electric vehicles, and energy storage to establish a world-class green industrial chain.
Li also stressed that both governments and businesses should work together to promote development. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to high-level opening-up, fair treatment of domestic and foreign enterprises, and legal protection of the rights and interests of foreign companies in China.
He expressed hope that Australia would treat Chinese enterprises fairly and address concerns regarding market access and investment review processes.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who also attended the roundtable, said bilateral relations are developing steadily, with growing enthusiasm for cooperation among business communities. He affirmed Australia’s willingness to expand dialogue with China, deepen cooperation in fields such as trade, agriculture, industry, energy resources, and green development, and jointly tackle global challenges like climate change while upholding global equity and free trade.