On February, 23, 2006, Mr. Kevin Magee, Consul General of Australia in Guangzhou, visited the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province (OCAO)and held talks with Mr. Lv Weixiong, Director of OCAO and relevant division chiefs. Both parties reviewed the 2005 visit to Australia headed by Mr. Zhang Dejiang, the Party Secretary of CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and exchanged views on the issues of common interests such as how to promote non-governmental friendly relations as well as economic and cultural exchanges between Guangdong and Australia.

On behalf of OCAO, Mr. Lv extended his heartfelt welcome to Mr. Magee¡¯s visit. Mr. Lv briefed Magee on the Chinese communities in Australia and main overseas Chinese associations and exchanged views with Mr. Magee in the areas such as encouraging the Chinese communities in Australia to integrate into local society, further boosting media exchanges between China and Australia, promote Chinese language teaching and learning, and assisting the younger generations of Chinese immigrants in Australia in improving their Chinese proficiency.
Mr. Magee points out that the Chinese communities in Australia have accomplished remarkable achievements and a great number of prominent people have arisen in the field of business, politics, science and technology, and education, who have been playing an increasingly important role in the Australian society. There are common interests between China and Australia in areas such as mutual understanding, friendly relations, economic and cultural exchanges, etc., for the Australian Consulate-general in Guangzhou and OCAO should work hand in hand.Mr. Magee hopes that Guangdong province and Australia will have more cooperations in economy, cultural and other areas.

By:Alessia              source:gocn                  Editor:Mark