Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan called on his federal government to stop anti-China rhetoric and mend relations with China, local media reported.
"As a country we can and should have a good relationship with our largest trading partner, China," the Australian Financial Review (AFR) quoted him as saying in a Tuesday report.
Speaking at an annual Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association conference in Perth, capital of the state, McGowan told about 1,700 delegates that it was time for a national reset of the relationship, the report said.
"The federal talk of conflict and trade retaliation can and must stop," McGowan told the country's largest oil and gas conference.
"It is in our security and economic interest to do so. The LNG industry that exports to China, and knows there are many international competitors, would understand that better than most," he noted, referring to the country's liquefied natural gas exports.
McGowan said his state, as Australia's strongest trading state, has put a lot of effort into maintaining "cordial and successful relationships with our investment and trading partners" worldwide.
McGowan's remarks were echoed by Kevin Gallagher, chief executive of Santos, Australia's leading energy company, who said all companies wanted stable and cordial relationships with trading partners, according to the AFR report.
