China on Thursday urged Australia to view China's development and China-Australia cooperation in an objective way and stop politicizing and stigmatizing normal exchanges between the two countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin (File photo: fmprc.gov.cn)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing regarding the suspension of all activities under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue announced Thursday by the National Development and Reform Commission.
"China always believes that healthy and stable China-Australia relations serve the fundamental interests of both countries, and China-Australia cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win," Wang said.
At the same time, mutual respect and trust are the prerequisites for dialogue and practical cooperation among countries, he noted.
For some time, in disregard of China's solemn position and repeated representations, Australia has been abusing so-called "national security" to further restrict and suppress China-Australia cooperation projects and existing achievements in economy, trade, culture and other fields, said Wang.
Wang said that this has seriously damaged mutual trust between the two countries and undermined the basis for normal exchanges and cooperation. China has to make a necessary and proper response, and Australia must take full responsibility for this, noted Wang.
China urged Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias and objectively view China's development and China-Australia cooperation, said the spokesperson, adding that Australia should stop its insanity in suppressing China-Australia cooperation, stop politicizing and stigmatizing China-Australia normal exchanges, and stop going further down the wrong path.
(Compiled by Ruan Ziyan)