On June 27, 2005, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang and Assistant Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia Geoff Raby jointly chaired the ninth China-Australia Human Rights Dialogue which was attended by the officials from the Supreme People's Court, the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Public Security and the All China Women's Federation on the Chinese side and the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and its Attorney-General's Department.

The two sides introduced their active measures to promote and protect human rights to each other. Shen Guofang noted that the Chinese government has explored a road of human rights development with Chinese characteristics according to China's national conditions. While making efforts to develop the economy and raise people's living standards, China is strengthening the democratic and legal construction and making continuous achievements in the field of human rights. China is willing to continue to conduct human rights talks and exchanges with all the other countries in the world on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Geoff Raby briefed Australia's efforts to promote human rights, made positive comments on China's human rights achievements and sang high praise for China's progress in the areas of legal reform and running administration according to law after "the human rights are written in constitution". Both sides also exchanged in-depth opinions on the rights of women and children, rights of ethnic minorities and the international human rights cooperation. They examined and unanimously approved the 2005-2006 China-Australia human rights technological cooperation program, according to which both sides will conduct cooperation in such areas as poverty alleviation, rights and interests of the youth, community democratic construction and ethnic minorities.

Following the dialogue, Shen Guofang and Geoff Raby held a joint press conference and took questions from the journalists.