Chinese ambassador says China poses no threat to world: newspaper

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Ma Zhaoxu "delivered a strong assurance" that China poses no security threat to Australia and the world, a top Australian newspaper said in a report.

After an exclusive interview with Ma by its defense editor Brendan Nicholson, The Australian, one of the country's most influential newspaper, published a report on Saturday in which the Chinese ambassador expounded China's stances on a range of issues including the Sino-Australian relationship and the South China Sea.

Ambassador Ma told Nicholson that China is willing to develop a stronger, deeper military-to-military relationship with Australia. "I can say very clearly, China is not a strategic threat to Australia but a comprehensive strategic partner," Ma said. "We enjoy tremendous common interests between our two countries."

Addressing the concerns about the situation in the South China Sea, Ma said other countries had illegally occupied islands which belong to China and built military facilities on them. Beijing's recent construction work in the South China Sea is mainly for civil purposes but also include defensive facilities. "China's construction on reclaimed land in the South China Sea included building lighthouses and facilities to collect meteorological data to improve the safety of vessels passing through the areas and provide shelter for fishing vessels evading typhoons. That was intended to improve the freedom and safety of navigation, not to hinder," the newspaper quoted Ma as saying. "Because those islands belong to China, like any other country you have to build defensive facilities," Ma was quoted in the article. "But those facilities are for the purpose of defense and anybody who has territory has the obligation to do something for the defense of that country. This is Chinese territory. We say that the construction on those islands is reasonable, justified and lawful."

"Ma Zhaoxu stressed the importance to his country of both the economic relationship, which has seen China become Australia's main trading partner, and closer military and security ties to building up mutual trust," Nicholson wrote in the report.

"Ma said China's economic relationship with Australia and its political and security relationship were inextricably linked, like 'two wheels on a cart'," the article said. "We cannot move forward without both wheels," the article quoted Mas as saying.

Nicholson noted that Ma has urged Australian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the new free trade agreement Australia signed with China to develop business opportunities. "I would encourage Australian businessmen to have a very comprehensive, thorough study of the FTA and to have a good command of its contents," the article quoted Ma as saying. "Do your best to take advantage of the FTA to enhance your business with China."

The ambassador expressed optimism over China's economic development, saying slower economic growth in China would bring the benefits of a period of consolidation, and urbanization and development of key industries would see a strong demand for raw materials from Australia far into the future. "There is no reason to worry about the future of resources cooperation with China," Ma was quoted as saying. "China's economy is continuing to develop at a moderate speed. We are talking about a very big economy so the demand for resources will continue to increase."

The Chinese ambassador said he is confident about the future course of China's economy. "In the coming years, the economic structure of China will be lifted to a new level more suitable for the sustainment of development. The environment in China will be much improved and so will the living standards of its people," the article quoted the ambassador as saying. "I would encourage our colleagues in Australia to look at China' s economy more from the point of view of its quality and its structural changes and to try to find opportunities from that perspective."

Ma also urged those involved with China should look forward, not backward, and move very quickly. "We have a new normal in the Chinese economy and through the efforts of entrepreneurs, governments and academics, we could also expect a new normal in China-Australia economic relations," he was quoted as saying.

Ma told the newspaper that Australia had been a good partner of China for many years, and it was likely that new areas of cooperation would open up in agriculture and services. "There had already been a surge in recent years in exports of services from Australia to China and a great demand in China for Australian agricultural products including wine, cheese, beef and lamb."

Nicholson also noted Ambassador Ma's enthusiasm in enhancing China's military relationship with Australia, saying it is a very high priority for China. "We stand ready to work with Australia and other countries for peace, stability and prosperity for our region and beyond," Ma said. Endi