China-Australia relations look forward to broader space of development

China-Australia relations can expect a broader space of development under the new situation, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Chen Yuming said in an interview with Xinhua.

Chen made the remark on the eve of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's visit to China from April 5 to 10, which will take her first to Bo'ao in the southern Hainan province where she will attend the Bo'ao Forum for Asia and later to Shanghai and Beijing.

After the successful conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the transfer of Chinese leadership has completed.

Gillard is one of the first foreign heads of government or state to meet the Chinese new helmsmen. The timing attaches great importance by both countries to the development of Sino-Australia relations, said Chen.

Gillard is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Bo' ao and Chinese Premier Li Keqiangin Beijing.

The 18th National People's Congress of CPC and the 12th NPC and CPPCC set out the blueprint for China's future development.

The congress predicted that by 2020 China will double both its gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income compared to 2010. The deeper urbanization process will serve as a momentum to China's development, Chen said.

Urbanization in China will enable a sustained demand for mineral resources from Australia. The policy of expanding domestic demand will further increase China's demand for diverse consumer products other than iron ore and coal. This will create new space for the exports of Australian high-end agricultural products to China.

Now that China attaches greater importance to the innovation of high-tech industry, it will bring new chances to enhance the scientific cooperation between the two countries.

"I believe the connotation of Sino-Australian relations will be further enriched. China will push for broader engagement and closer cooperation with Australia," said Chen.

Except for accelerating the renovation of traditional labor- intensive industries, China will boost the development of emerging strategic industries and advanced manufacturing sector which includes clean energy, next-generation information and communication technology, biomedicines, and high-end equipment manufacturing to upgrade national economy.

Chen said that China emphasizes green development with low- carbon emission. It aims to facilitate the readjustment of economic structure and transition of producing and living models.

"The economies of the two countries are strongly complementary so that we have the huge potential cooperation opportunity in agriculture, service industry and those industries I mentioned above," Chen said.

"Australia can attract Chinese investment and seek possibility of cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win result," the ambassador said.