Chinese foreign ministry on suspension of all activities under framework of China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday that Australia has been for some time abusing the so-called "national security" reasons to further restrict and suppress China-Australia cooperation, which has gravely damaged the mutual trust between the two countries and undermined the foundation of normal exchanges and cooperation.

China has to make a necessary and legitimate response, and Australia must take full responsibilities for this, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

Wang made the remarks in response to a query on the decision of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to indefinitely suspend all activities under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue starting from Thursday.

The decision was made based on the current attitude of the Australian Commonwealth Government toward China-Australia cooperation, the NDRC said in a proclamation on its website Thursday.

"China has always been of the view that a healthy and stable China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of both countries," Wang said, adding that China-Australia cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. Meanwhile, mutual respect and trust are the prerequisites for dialogue and pragmatic cooperation between countries," said Wang.

For some time, Australia, in disregard of China's solemn position and repeated representations, has been abusing the so-called "national security" reasons and intensified restrictions and suppression of China-Australia cooperation projects and existing achievements in the fields of economy, trade and humanities, Wang said. "This has seriously damaged the mutual trust between China and Australia, and undermined the foundation of normal exchanges and cooperation."

"China has to make a necessary and legitimate response, and Australia must bear all the responsibilities for this," the spokesperson said.

"We urge Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias; take an objective view of China's development and China-Australia cooperation; immediately return to rationality, correct its mistakes and change course; stop the irrational suppression of China-Australia cooperation; stop politicizing and stigmatizing normal exchanges between the two countries; and refrain from going further down the wrong path," he said.