The liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Guangdong, south China, has added a new
dimension to energy cooperation between China and Australia, said
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu at a regular press
conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
Jiang said the project will help China develop its LNG industry
and make use of clean energy.
The project is the first that involves overseas LNG imports.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard will pay a working visit
to China from June 27 to 29. Howard will attend the ceremony
marking the official start of first phase operations scheduled to
be held in Shenzhen on Wednesday, and then hold talks with Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao. He will also attend a symposium on
a China-Australia free trade zone on Wednesday afternoon.
On Sino-Australian relations, Jiang said the relations have been
developing very well. Trade volume between the two countries in
2005 reached US$27.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 33
percent.
The bilateral cooperation in culture and education, science and
technology, tourism and consular affairs has become closer, Jiang
said.
China considers Australia a good friend, and is willing to make
joint efforts to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation so as
to promote bilateral development in an all-round way, Jiang
said.
In response to a question concerning whether a bilateral meeting
is to be held between the foreign ministers of China and Japan
during an upcoming ASEAN regional forum (the ARF), Jiang called on
Japan to make joint efforts to create an "appropriate atmosphere"
for contact and for an exchange of visits between the foreign
ministers of the two countries at the appropriate time.
"Seasonal contact and visits are of great importance to the
improvement and development of Sino-Japanese ties," Jiang said.
The 13th ARF Ministers' meeting, said Jiang, is due to be held
in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. China will send a delegation to the
meeting.
"China expects to exchange views with relevant parties of the
forum on international and regional security situation as well as
the blueprint of the forum," Jiang said.
The ARF was established in 1994 as the main forum for
multi-lateral security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Turning to the abduction and killing of five Russian diplomats
in Iraq, Jiang said: "China condemns the abduction and killing of
Russian diplomats and hopes that the security of diplomats from all
countries in Iraq could be guaranteed."
Four diplomats were abducted in Baghdad on June 3 when their
vehicle came under fire from gunmen.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that the four
diplomats taken hostage in Iraq had been killed by their abductors.
The fifth diplomat was killed in the carjacking.
With regard to the head tax which was imposed by the Canadian
government from 1885 to 1923, Jiang said China welcomes all efforts
by other countries to help Chinese living abroad integrate into
mainstream society.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on June 22 offered a
long-awaited formal apology to the Chinese community for the
racially motivated tax.
When the head tax failed to curb Chinese immigration, the
Canadian government passed a law in 1923 that banned Chinese from
settling in Canada. That law was repealed in 1947.
The Chinese government has taken note of this, Jiang said.
In another development, Jiang stressed that all parties involved
should maintain open dialogue and peacefully resolve the Korean
Peninsula issue, and strive for an early resumption of the stalled
nuclear talks.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing held talks with South Korean
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ban Ki-moon, in Beijing on
Tuesday morning.
China is devoted to maintaining peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula, and is willing to work with all sides to achieve
that goal.
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006)