China welcomes Australia to make policies independently: Chinese FM

SYDNEY, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Thursday that China welcomes Australia, an ally of the United States, also a partner of China, and more importantly a sovereign nation, to make policies independently based on its own fundamental interests.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating.

Wang appreciated Keating's lasting attention and support for the development of China-Australia ties, saying that as the two countries are situated in the Asia-Pacific region with their economies complementary to each other and interests intertwined, China and Australia should foster mutual understanding and trust to attain win-win cooperation.

Wang noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, which provides a pivotal occasion to summarize past experiences and forge ahead into the future. With joint efforts by both sides, China-Australia relations are returning to the right track.

Wang expressed the willingness of the Chinese side to work with their Australian counterparts to promote a more mature, stable, and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership in a bid to better benefit the people of the two countries and the whole region.

China's growth follows a robust internal logic and is in accordance with historical development trends. "The Chinese path to modernization is a major contribution to the progress of human civilization, and we are willing to share development opportunities with other countries including Australia," said Wang.

For his part, Keating said that China enjoys a huge economy with extensive potential for development, which poses no threat to other countries and is conducive to regional peace and stability.

Believing in the unstoppable progress of China's development, Keating voiced confidence in the promising outlook of Australia-China relations.