Visiting top legislator Wu Bangguo and the premier of Western Australia agreed on Thursday to form a long-term strategic cooperative partnership between China and Australia's largest state in energy and mineral resources.  

Wu, who arrived in Perth earlier in the day at the start of a weeklong visit to Australia, met Geoff Gallop, premier of Western Australia, for discussions on ways of promoting relations between China and the state, as well as their cooperation in energy and mineral resources.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said Western Australia plays a pivotal role in the two countries' cooperation in energy and mineral resources, an area of vital importance to China-Australia trade and economic cooperation.

China and Western Australia are highly complementary in economic terms and their cooperation has huge potentials and broad prospects, Wu said, adding that strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in energy and mineral resources is in keeping with the common interests of both sides.

Wu said the purpose of his trip to Western Australia is to push for the establishment of a long-term strategic cooperative partnership in energy and mineral resources.

Gallop said the relationship between China and Western Australia should be one of long-term strategic cooperation and his state is happy to become a long-term and stable supplier for the Chinese market.

Western Australia, an important base for production and exportation of energy and mineral resources in Australia, is rich in resources and advanced in related industries and technologies.

Recent years have witnessed steady growth in economic cooperation between China and Western Australia. China has become the second largest trading partner of Western Australia.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2005)