Xi delivers speech at Australia’s Federal Parliament
On Nov. 17 local time, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Federal Parliament of Australia entitled, “Pursuing Chinese and Australian Development Dreams Hand in Hand and Achieving Regional Prosperity and Stability Shoulder to
Shoulder”, expounding China’s path of peaceful development and its Asia-Pacific policy, and stressing that China and Australia should still make further progress in jointly creating a brighter future for the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership and collaboratively composing a new chapter of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Xi Jinping pointed out that although China and Australia are separated by vast oceans, friendly exchanges between the two countries date back to ancient times. In the two World Wars, the two peoples fought shoulder to shoulder and jointly safeguarded world peace and human justice. In 1972, China and Australia established diplomatic relations, initiating a new chapter in the history of their friendly bilateral cooperation. “The vastness of the ocean cannot be attributed to a single tributary,” Xi said. It was constant mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples that converged into the sea of China-Australia friendship.
Xi Jinping pointed out that, “at present, the Chinese people are making unremitting efforts to realize the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China is a big country with a population of more than 1.3 billion— like a big man in the crowd. Other people will undoubtedly watch how the big man walks and moves and be concerned about whether the big man will bump into them, block their way, or seize their territory. Here, I am willing to share several points of view regarding people’s concern.”
“First, China adheres to peaceful development and will not waver in this resolution. The Chinese nation has always been a peaceloving nation. China most needs a harmonious and stable domestic environment and a peaceful and tranquil international environment. No turbulence or wars serve the fundamental interests of the Chinese people. Although China is large in size, our forefathers over 2,000 years ago realized that a warlike country, however big it might be, is bound to collapse. China safeguards peace. Peace is precious and needs to be maintained as well. If everyone only wants to enjoy peace and no one is willing to safeguard it, peace will no longer exist. The Chinese people adhere to the path of peaceful development, and sincerely hope that all countries in the world take the path of peaceful development.”
“Second, China adheres to common development and will not waver in this idea. China will unswervingly pursue the mutually beneficial and win- win strategy of opening- up, adhere to the correct view of righteousness and benefit, develop an open economic system, and strengthen and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries in the world in an all- round manner. China’s development is an important opportunity for all countries around the world. China is now accelerating its new- type industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, and new economic growth points will constantly emerge, providing a broader market, more abundant capital, more affluent products, and more valuable cooperation opportunities for international and regional partners.”
“Third, China adheres to promoting cooperation and development in the Asia- Pacific region and will not waver in this policy. China will adhere to building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries, carry out the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, and advocate the common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept of Asia. China will work with other countries to promote the accomplishment of negotiations on the regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement, as scheduled, and accelerate the promotion of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, jointly safeguarding marine navigation freedom and channel security and establishing an oceanic order of peace, tranquility, cooperation and mutual benefits. We hold that all countries, rich or poor, strong or weak, big or small, are equal, not only in terms of rights and interests, but also in terms of international rules. China has consistently adhered to handling disputes with related countries over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in a peaceful way through dialogues and consultations.”
Xi Jinping emphasized that China has always regarded Australia as an important partner. “During my visit, both sides decided to uplift the China- Australia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and announced the substantial conclusion of the China-Australia Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations. Standing at the new starting point and height, we should, with a farther-sighted view, broader mind, and bolder ambition, enhance mutual understanding to become sincere partners of mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation to become close partners of mutual benefit and win-win outcome, strengthen people- to- people and cultural exchanges to become real friends and soul mates, and promote strategic communication to become harmonious neighbors sharing weal and woe.”
In the end, Xi Jinping stressed that with joint efforts of China and Australia, the friendship between the two peoples is believed to be totally able to climb over mountains and fly over seas, just like Uluru standing in central Australia, weathering storms and yet standing firm and long, or like the Great Wall winding in northern China, stretching endlessly and passing on from generation to generation.