Premier Li Keqiang pledged to promote innovation cooperation with Australia during an annual meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Beijing on April 14.

“China and Australia are important cooperation partners in the Asia Pacific region,” said the Premier.

“The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement that was signed and put into force last year injected new momentum in the bilateral cooperation,” said the Premier.

Expressing confidence in the prospect of the Sino-Australian relations, the Premier said, “on the basis of mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, China is will to increase strategic mutual trust, interface development strategies, expand cooperation fields, properly handle differences and promote the sustainable and stable development of the comprehensive strategic partnership with the Australian side, thus sending a positive signal to the world.”

“Currently, the global economic growth is weak and faces increasing uncertainties and China’s economy is undergoing in-depth structural adjustment,” said the Premier.

“While maintaining stable growth, we will force structural reform, especially supply-side reform and implementing innovation driven development strategies, boosting mass entrepreneurship and innovation. These all highly coincide with Australia’s development strategies such as the National Innovation and Science Agenda.

The two sides can take this as an opportunity to strengthen strategic interface and the leading role of innovation and make use of the China-Australia technological cooperation committee. It will implement the joint research center project supported by Chinese-Australian scientific research fund. All this will promote joint research and development in food, agriculture, mining and marine science. China also welcomes the Australian side to set up overseas innovation bases in Shanghai to jointly establish innovative park and technology transfer centers,” said the Premier.

Premier Li said, “China is willing to make full use of respective advantages with Australia, bolstering production capacity cooperation in infrastructure construction and equipment manufacturing.”

The Premier urged to expand pragmatic cooperation in new-emerging fields such as: new energy, new-type urbanization, environmental protection, cross-border e-commerce, enhance cooperation in overseas study, tourism, local exchanges, law enforcement and defense.

Premier Li also called for communication and coordination under the multilateral mechanism at the international and regional levels to jointly safeguard regional and global peace and stability and achieve common development.

Turnbull said he was honored to be the first Australian Prime Minister to visit China after the signing of the China-Australia FTA.

“Seeing China an important trade partner, Australia is bullish on the prospect of Chinese economy,” Turnball said.

Turnball said, “Australia is willing to take advantage of the important cooperation opportunity brought by the adjustment of Chinese economic structure, strengthen innovative cooperation especially in cooperation of e-commerce, agriculture and animal husbandry, and technology.”

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regions issues of common concern.

Prior to their meeting, Premier Li held a welcome ceremony for Turnbull in Beijing on April 14.

Following the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements in innovation, tourism, industrial park and mining.