Australian PM candidates value China ties  

分析称澳洲两党候选人政策不同 均重视对华经济

据香港《文汇报》9月6日报道，澳大利亚将在9月7日举行总理大选，参与竞选的两党核心人物对中澳关系立场虽不尽相同，但均支持加快中澳自贸协议谈判，因此分析人士认为，不论谁当选，中澳关系仍会以经济为核心。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Both Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, Australia's candidates for prime minister, support speeding up negotiations with China on a free trade agreement, although their political positions toward China is not quite the same, Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po reported.

Rudd, the current prime minister, holds the view that the US and China should cooperate on formulating a new Asia-Pacific strategy, and suggests China and Japan join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

Abbott, the opposition coalition's leader, says Australia should not contain, but cooperate, with China. He also says Australia-China relations need to become equally important as relations with the US.

Australia-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to be a focus of Australia's new administration. Abbott even promised to reach the agreement in a year if he were elected.

China and Australia recently started their 20th round of negotiations on FTA, which was initiated in 2005.

Australia's federal election will begin on Saturday. Rudd has a 41 percent personal approval rating, while Abbott has 43 percent.