China, Australia can jointly build competitive new energy industrial, supply chains: Chinese premier

PERTH, Australia, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Australia can jointly build competitive industrial and supply chains in the new energy sector, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Tuesday.

Li made the remarks when visiting Tianqi Lithium Kwinana Pty Ltd and Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and its Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) in the Australian city of Perth, accompanied by Australian Minister for Resources Madeleine King and Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook.

China and Australia could leverage their complementary advantages and tap into their respective potentials to build competitive new energy industrial and supply chains as China's new energy vehicle and lithium battery industries possess technical expertise while Australia is rich in lithium and other critical minerals, he added.

During his visit to the company, Li listened to Tianqi Lithium's executives introducing its operation, and toured the lithium concentrate warehouse and product packaging workshop.

Li noted that the potential industrial and supply chains, on the basis of mutual benefit, could serve the low-carbon development of both countries and contribute to the global green transition as well.

He expressed the hope that Tianqi Lithium would continue to give back to the local community and benefit local people's livelihoods, and that Australia would continue to provide a favorable business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate.

At the FFI, Li listened to the introduction of the group's leaders and visited a hydrogen-powered haul truck, a liquid hydrogen mobile refueler, and a cell electric locomotive that the group develops.

Li noted that green and low-carbon transition has become a major trend in global economic development in recent years, adding that Fortescue's active transformation into a green energy and resources company is highly compatible with China's unwavering commitment to developing green industries.

He also expressed his hope that Fortescue would play an active role in the process of China-Australia green development cooperation.

China will continue to promote high-level opening-up, further expand market access, and create a market-oriented and internationalized business environment that is first-class and based on the rule of law for enterprises from Australia and other countries to invest and operate, said the Chinese premier.

China welcomes more Australian enterprises to invest in China and take root in China to promote the continuous development of China-Australia relations, he added.

Also on Tuesday, Li held a meeting with Cook, during which he said the economies of China and Western Australia are highly complementary, and enjoy large-scale, high-level cooperation, making a model of local and practical cooperation between China and Australia.

It is hoped that Western Australia will deepen and expand cooperation with China in energy and mineral resources, agriculture and husbandry, green and low-carbon industries, and scientific and technological innovation, and continue to provide a good business environment for Chinese enterprises, he added.

As an important trading partner of China, Western Australia is proud of its outstanding cooperation with China and willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, establish more direct flights, and promote bilateral cooperation to achieve more fruitful results, said Cook.