On the afternoon of May 24, 2005, Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China who was paying an official good-will visit to Australia held talks with Paul Calvert, President of the Senate and David Hawker, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia in the parliament building. Both sides exchanged opinions on bilateral relations, exchanges between the NPC and the Australian parliament and other issues of common concern and reached many important consensuses.

Wu said, "My visit to Australia is a big success. First, the momentum of high-level exchanges is maintained. My meeting with Governor-General Jeffery, Prime Minister Howard and leaders of the state governments of Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales helps increase mutual understanding, deepen friendship and strengthen political mutual trust. Second, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation gets stimulated, the long-term strategic cooperation between China and Australia in the fields of energy and mineral resources promoted and exchanges in the humanities field and at local levels expanded. Third, the relations between the NPC and the Parliament of Australia are enclosed. Fourth, both sides conducted candid exchange of views on the international situation and the international and regional issues of common concern, coordinated position and reached many consensuses. I feel satisfied with the results of the visit."

Talking about the exchanges between the NPC and the Australian parliament, Wu said, "One of the major goals of this visit to Australia is to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between the NPC of China and the Parliament of Australia. Such relations are important component of the bilateral ties. At present the two sides exchange frequently and have achieved good results. In the future such relations should be institutionalized, including the frequent mutual visit of the leaders of NPC and the Australian parliament, the exchanges between the friendship groups and the special committees of both sides and the cooperation between related agencies of both sides to share information, build up the friendship between the two peoples and inject new energy into the in-depth development of China-Australia relations. We welcome an increasing number of members, especially the young members of the Australian House of Representatives and Senate to visit China.

Both Calvert and Hawker expressed complete agreement with Wu Bangguo, saying that Wu's official visit to Australia greatly promotes the development of Australia-China relations and the exchanges between the NPC of China and the Parliament of Australia should be strengthened.

Following the meeting, Wu Bangguo, Calvert and Hawker jointly attended the signing ceremony for a number of documents including the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Australia, the Comprehensive Access Project Agreement between Huawei Technologies and Optus and the Cooperation Framework Agreement on the Jilin Shuangliao Wind Power Generation Project between China Datang Corporation and the Tasmania Water and Electricity Company.

On the evening Chairman Wu and his wife Zhang Ruizhen cordially met in the hotel where they stayed with staffs of the Chinese embassy and representatives of oversea Chinese and Chinese students in Australia.

Re Di, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of NPC participated in the above activities.