(MENAFN) On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that China is ready to collaboratively develop "a more mature and stable China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership."

This statement was made during a conversation on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia.

Li emphasized China's desire to maintain strategic dialogue with Australia and expand cooperation that would benefit both nations, as reported by a state-run Chinese news agency.

Li further highlighted that China is keen to explore opportunities for collaboration with Australia, particularly in areas like the green economy, high-tech industries, and the digital sector.

He also urged the Australian government to "provide an open, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises" to foster better business relations.

Prime Minister Albanese responded by acknowledging the importance of Australia's ties with China, stating that "China is our largest trading partner and that won’t change."

He noted that these relations are crucial for the economy, security, and regional stability. Albanese also referred to the meeting as an "opportunity to continue stabilizing" the Australia-China relationship, according to his comments on the US-based social media platform X.

Additionally, Albanese raised concerns about an incident in which the Chinese military forced an Australian warplane to leave the South China Sea last Wednesday.

During the meeting, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Albanese said, "We have disagreements, and friends are able to discuss issues. That's what we're able to do." He assured that Premier Li understood the issue "very directly."

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