Both China and Australia are fascinating lands for each other’s people. Just like Australian friends often speak to me fondly about the majestic Great Wall, cute giant pandas and delicious Chinese cuisine, the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef, magnificent Uluru and adorable koalas are some of the favorites among Chinese tourists. I hope our two sides will take the China-Australia Year of Tourism as an opportunity to further facilitate two-way flows of people. I am confident that with more cultural, educational and youth exchanges, China-Australia friendship will strike deep roots among our peoples and be passed on from generation to generation.
The Asia-Pacific is where China survives and thrives. It is also the common home of China and Australia. It is the shared desire of China, Australia and our neighbors to see the Asia-Pacific enjoy stability and order, development and prosperity and continued regional integration. Under the current circumstances, China and Australia should follow the region’s trend of peace, development and cooperation, join hands to take concrete actions and send positive signals to stabilize market expectations, convey confidence and contribute our share to the region and beyond.
Hopefully, when we look back at this particular moment in China-Australia relations, we can say proudly that we have, with selfless sharing and enormous courage, turned challenges of our time into historic opportunities; and we have, in a disoriented era beset by uncertainties, contributed the impetus needed for China-Australia relations and the world to move forward.
