The Australia-China Bilateral Dialogue for Resources Cooperation (Bilateral Dialogue) was established in 2000. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of information to gain a mutual understanding of energy and mineral resource policies and issues in respective countries; promote trade and investment to enhance bilateral cooperation and to stimulate bilateral commercial relationships for the benefit of Australia and China.
The 5th meeting of the Bilateral Dialogue was held in Sydney in December 2009. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 3rd meeting of the China-Australia Joint Coordinating Group on Clean Coal Technology.
An important outcome of the 2009 discussions was a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism of Australia and the National Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China on ‘Strengthening Cooperation within the Field of Energy’, signed in 2010.
The 6th meeting of the Bilateral Dialogue was held in March 2012 in Beijing with a forty-strong Australian delegation of State and Commonwealth government, research organisations, university, business and industry representatives.
Bilateral Dialogue discussions included:
- an overview of Chinese and Australian resources and energy policy developments;
- energy and minerals trade and investment;
- clean energy exchange and cooperation; and
- renewable energy.
The next meeting is expected to be held in Australia in 2013.