Visiting Chinese VP meets with Australian Premier of Victoria state
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Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with John Brumby, Premier of Victoria state later Saturday.
Xi Jinping, who is visiting Australia at the invitation of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, said his visit aims to enhance mutual trust and friendship, promote extensive exchanges and cooperation and he is to meet Australian leaders and friends of different sectors during the visit.
Xi said exchanges and cooperation at state and province level are important to bilateral relations. In recent years, friendly cooperation between Victoria state and China has achieved positive results, especially in trade and education sectors.
Xi said the Chinese government and relevant provinces and cities in China attach great importance to further exchange and cooperation with the state of Victoria.
He said joint efforts can be made in technological cooperation, especially the high technology sector, research and manufacturing of clean energy automobiles. The two sides can make the most of their high level of complementary properties of trade and investment relations and at the same time deepen cooperation in agriculture.
People-to-people relations are also important, Xi said, adding that the two sides need to further encourage education and travel by having more university-level exchanges, training, visiting scholar programs, technological and educational cooperation.
Xi said this year's Shanghai World Expo, the year of Australian culture in Beijing as well as next year's China year in Australia are providing opportunities for more people-to-people exchanges and links. He said with joint efforts, friendly cooperation between Victoria and China will provide genuine benefits to the peoples.
Premier Brumby gave Vice President Xi a warm welcome for making Melbourne the first leg of his visit to Australia. Brumby said, given cooperation in extensive areas, relations between Australia and China enjoy a strong trend. The existing cooperation in energy, resources, mineral, culture, education and travel has been very fruitful.
Brumby said Victoria and China have long-time friendship. The sistership relation at city level is going deeper and deeper in recent years.
Dubbed as Australia's "state of innovation" and with the capital city ranked as one of the world's most liveable cities, the Victoria state has unique advantage in areas including high- end manufacture, ecological and sustainable environment protection, travel and agriculture, he said, adding that Victoria is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, which will benefit the two peoples.
In the meeting, the premier also congratulated China on a successful and wonderful Shanghai World Expo.
Xi arrived at Melbourne Saturday afternoon kicking off his official visit to Australia which will also take him to Canberra where he will meet with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday, and both will address a Sino-Australian economic forum in the Parliament.
