Australia, US vow to build positive relations with China

SYDNEY - Australia and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to building positive and constructive relations with China at high-level government talks held in Sydney on Tuesday.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, Defence Minister Senator David Johnston, US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel met for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).

In the AUSMIN 2014 Joint Communique released on Tuesday night, the two countries expressed their desire to build stronger ties with China by "pursuing dialogue on strategic security issues and by expanding practical cooperation in support of their common interest in maintaining regional peace and stability, and respect for international law".

"They (Australia and US) welcomed China's contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations and international efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden, as well as its participation in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC)."

The communique said Australia and the US looked forward to joining China for the inaugural military Exercise Kowari, a trilateral defence exercise to be conducted in Australia in October.

A key part of the consulations was to increase the number of US Marines based in Australia to 2,500, which, Bishop said, was aimed at supporting the long-term peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific region.