Wang Yi urges Australia to respect China's core interests, properly manage differences

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday to discuss bilateral ties on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

While appreciating Australia's repeated commitment to the one-China principle, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said he hopes that the Australian side will continue to respect China's core interests and major concerns, safeguard the political foundation of the bilateral relationship and properly manage their differences.

Wang pointed out that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Australia relations have stabilized, adding that the return of China-Australia relations to a path of sound and stable development serves the common interests of both sides and aligns with the aspirations of their peoples.

China is willing to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership, he noted.

In the face of the current complex and volatile international situation, China maintains that all countries should practice true multilateralism, and that major countries in particular should take the lead in firmly opposing efforts to reverse the course of history and resist a return to the "law of the jungle," Wang stressed.

He also said China is ready to work with the international community, including Australia, to defend the victorious outcomes of World War II and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core.

Wong, for her part, said that at present, China and Australia have made positive strides in various fields of interaction, with economic and trade relations fully recovered, sending positive signals.

Australia adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with China in areas that serve their respective national interests, uphold the international rule of law and strategic security, and jointly address global challenges, she said.