Roundup: Aussie mining giants ready to explore new cooperation opportunities with China
China is advocating the new concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, they said, while Australia’s new government is also committed to fostering a diversified and sustainable growth pattern. “China and Australia can align green development strategies and establish a closer cooperative relationship of mutual benefit,” said…
PERTH, Australia, June 13 (Xinhua) — Australia’s Mining giants are expecting new cooperation opportunities with Chinese stakeholders during their transition to cleaner energies.
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian toured the state of Western Australia last week, and visited venues of Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto and met with the companies’ management leadership.
The global leading mining companies expressed an optimistic outlook for future cooperation with China.
China is advocating the new concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, they said, while Australia’s new government is also committed to fostering a diversified and sustainable growth pattern.
“China and Australia can align green development strategies and establish a closer cooperative relationship of mutual benefit,” said Xiao on Saturday while addressing the national conference of the Australia China Friendship Society held in Perth.
Following a meeting with Xiao last Friday, Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm told Xinhua that the company has already started some research and development work with universities and companies in China, and the two sides can find ways to turn it into real business.
“Rio Tinto needs to decarbonize, but when addressing climate change, it actually provides big opportunities for us, because addressing climate change is fundamentally about energy transition,” he said.
“We need to future proof our existing business, but we are also part of the solution here. And I cannot see that happening without working very closely with China.”
Stausholm said Rio Tinto is having sprawling businesses in China, not just iron ore, and despite the short-term impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, the company still believes in the Chinese economy in the medium to long term.
BHP also welcomed future cooperation with Chinese counterparts.
The company has already partnered with steel makers China Baowu and HBIS to invest up to 50 million U.S. dollars collectively in low emission technologies, and plans to make it available to the broader market to support the reduction of emissions from the steel making industry.
“We continue to build on the strong partnerships we have in China through collaboration on decarbonisation technologies and strategies,” President of Minerals Australia at BHP Edgar Basto told Xinhua.
At Fortescue Future Industries, Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gaines told the ambassador that last month, the company celebrated 14 years since its first commercial shipment of iron ore to China’s Shanghai.
“Fortescue has built enduring and very mutually-beneficial relationships with our key customers in China. The depth of that engagement has definitely been a hallmark of Fortescue’s success,” Gaines said.
She said as Fortescue transitions to a green energy and resources company, it is working very closely with key stakeholders and customers in China and looking forward to new cooperation opportunities. Enditem