Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, arrived in the western Australian port city of Perth on Thursday, beginning a weeklong official goodwill visit to the South Pacific country.  

Australia is the second leg of Wu's current four-nation tour of Asia and the Pacific. He visited Singapore from May 17 to 19 and will also travel to New Zealand and Malaysia.

In an arrival statement, Wu said the peoples of China and Australia have a long history of friendly ties and the aim of his current visit is to move forward bilateral relations in an all-round and in-depth way.

"With the joint efforts of the governments and peoples of both countries, China-Australia relations have made steady headway, producing gratifying exchanges and cooperation in all fields," he said.

"Continued deepening of the comprehensive cooperative relations between China and Australia is not only in the fundamental interests of our two countries and peoples, but also conducive to stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and the world at large," Wu said.

Wu said he is convinced that his visit to Australia will help promote mutual trust, achieve greater consensus and enhance cooperation for common development, so as to move forward the comprehensive cooperative relations between the two countries.

During his stay in Australia, Wu will have separate meetings with Australian Governor-General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister John Howard, Senate President Paul Calvert and Speaker of the House of Representatives David Hawker, and will exchange views with them on a wide range of issues of common concern.

The top legislator will also meet local leaders in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales and discuss with them ways of broadening and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries through new forms and channels. Wu's visit to Australia encompasses stops in Perth, Cairns, Sydney and Canberra.

In Sydney, Wu will attend the China-Australia Economic and Trade Forum and deliver a keynote speech in which he will make proposals for deepening bilateral economic and business cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2005)