Chinese President Hu Jintao urged Australia on Saturday to seize new opportunities for the further development of bilateral ties.

"The China-Australia relationship is at a new historical starting point and facing important opportunities for further development. I hope the two sides will seize the current favorable opportunities," said Hu in a meeting with visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Sanya, a scenic city in south China's Hainan Province.

He said China had always attached great importance to its relations with Australia and saw the country as a "long-term important partner for cooperation".

"China and Australia are both important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and share extensive common interests and a solid foundation of cooperation," the president said.

He hailed the remarkable progress of bilateral ties in recent years, citing the frequent high-level exchanges, deepened mutual political trust, increased growth of bilateral trade and investment, new progress in cultural, educational and science and technological cooperation, and close coordination in regional and major international issues.

Rudd agreed with Hu's comments, saying Australia regards China as a long-term partner and hopes the two countries will share a stronger, broader and deeper relationship.

Hu made a four-point proposal on further promoting the development of bilateral ties, including expanding common interests, enhancing dialogue and exchanges in various fields, strengthening cooperation in economy, especially in energy, resources, environmental protection and services, properly handling sensitive issues in bilateral ties and strengthening exchanges between the two peoples.

Rudd suggested the two countries make joint efforts to respond to the issues of climate change, sustainable development and other global and regional issues.

Stressing Australia's readiness to become a responsible cooperative partner and a long-term energy supplier of China, Rudd said his country hoped to build stronger economic ties with China featuring the three pillars of energy and resources cooperation, industrial product trade and services exchanges.

Rudd came to visit China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Wen held talks with him and top legislator Wu Bangguo met with him in Beijing.

The Australian leader attended the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia on Saturday afternoon in Boao, Hainan Province.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2008)