Australia is seeking to strengthen cooperation on clean energy with Guangdong Province.

"There is a great opportunity for Australian providers of environmental technologies to take an active role in assisting the province move toward a more energy-efficient economy," Australia's Minister of Trade Simon Crean said at a China-Australia clean energy forum on Tuesday.

He also mentioned that Guangdong is one of China's wealthiest provinces and one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the country.

Mark Kelleher, managing director of a wind energy company in Tasmania, Roaring 40s, said: "We are confident that further Sino-Australian business contacts can be developed, which will ultimately benefit both countries."

Roaring 40s is jointly owned by Australian and Hong Kong interests, and regards China as a key market in Asia. It operates wind farms in China.

Eleven other Australian firms in areas such as coal bed methane, landfill technology and fossil energy also participated in the forum.

Li Miaojuan, director of the Guangdong development and reform commission, said the province has been making great efforts to save energy and lower emissions, and welcomes the involvement of Australian firms in clean energy development.

In another development, Crean officially opened the Australian Consulate-General's new chancery in Guangzhou.

The consulate covers the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Hunan and Hainan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Southern China is Australia's 9th largest export market. It accounted for 20 percent of Australia's total exports to China last year.

About 10,000 Australians live and work in south China, Crean said.

(China Daily August 13, 2008)