by Xinhua writer Xu Haijing
BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Scott Morrison, succeeding Malcolm Turnbull, took office last week as the 30th Australian prime minister and later announced his new cabinet.
Marise Payne, upon her appointment as the new foreign minister, told local media of her wish to meet Chinese officials during a United Nations meeting in September.
Payne's gesture showed that Australia's new cabinet has noticed the importance of ties with China, which were on a downward trajectory during the previous administration.
Both as key players in the Asia-Pacific region with no historical grudges or fundamental conflict of interest, China and Australia should enjoy a win-win, complementary relationship and enhance communication.
Economic and trade relations are the cornerstone of China-Australia ties, which have benefited the Australian side with tangible results, long acknowledged by many in the country.
It is also worth mentioning that Australia was able to survive the 2008 global financial crisis and saw no economic recession for over two decades thanks to the critical role of its economic and financial cooperation with China.
Meanwhile, Chinese overseas students, the largest group of foreign students in Australia, bring to the country over 10 billion Australian dollars (7.34 billion U.S. dollars) every year.
More than one million Chinese tourists travel to Australia every year, contributing another 10 billion Australian dollars to the country's economy.
There is still potential and space for win-win cooperation between China and Australia. Both sides ought to further boost economic and trade exchanges and promote regional economic integration.
One of the main factors behind the frayed bilateral ties over the past year is one of perception: instead of being fair and objective about China's fast development, some Australians regard a rising China as a threat rather than an opportunity.
It was an encouraging sign of Australia's willingness to reset its China policy when Turnbull, the former prime minister, delivered a speech on Australia's ties with China in early August, during which he expressed a positive view of China's reform and opening-up policy, bilateral ties and practical cooperation.
Looking to future, it could prove helpful for Australia's new cabinet to adopt a fresh mind-set on China-Australia ties, work to promote mutual trust and cooperation and create favorable conditions for improving China-Australia ties.
Such efforts are undoubtedly conducive to regional peace and stability, not to mention serving the interests and well-being of the peoples of both China and Australia.
