(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-28 22:36

A senior Chinese diplomat said that Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Australia will be of great significance to the long-term and stable development of cooperative ties between the two nations.

"President Hu's visit to Australia would help boost the friendly relations, intensify the high-level exchanges and consolidate the pragmatic cooperation between China and Australia", Chinese assistant foreign minister He Yafei told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

According to He, from September 3 to 9, Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Australia and attend the 15th economic leaders' informal meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

He hailed the progress achieved on the Sino-Australian relations, noting that the bilateral cooperation in various fields already brought concrete benefits to the two peoples, which also demonstrates the strong vitality and huge potential of the bilateral cooperation.

Latest official statistics showed that the two-way trade in 2006 was valued at US$32.946 billion and the number in the first five months this year climbed to US$15.91 billion, up 34.6 percent.

China has already become the second largest trading partner of Australia and the Australia ninth vice versa, He told the reporters.

The bilateral collaboration in such fields as science and technology, culture and environment grows in a productive way in recent years, He said, adding that the boom of the non-governmental cooperation also help promote the friendship between the two peoples.

"China and Australia both shoulder important responsibility to maintain the peace and stability in the region and world at large, and China values and welcomes Australia playing a constructive role on the regional and international issues", He said.