j1 UTAI
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 21 February 1984
All State Governments and companies at today's meeting on
prospects for co-operation between the Australian and
Chinese iron and steel industries expressed strong interest
in and support for the initiative.
The point of contact on the initiative between Australia
and China will be a joint working party of the Australia
China Joint Trade Committee..
The Austral * ian contribution to the joint study will be
based on exchanges of viewpoints and information with
State Governments, the trade unions and Australian
companies. Senior federal representatives will return. to China
in early April to outline Australian views on the
range of the jpint study. They will also explain the
organisational support that will be provided to pursue
the iron and steel co-operation initiative.
The meeting today involved State Governments and major
commercial parties who could foreseeably be involved
in the initiative between the iron and steel industries
of Australia and China.
I have already had contact with the President and Secretary
of the ACTU about this matter and there will be further
meetings with representatives of the trade union movement.
During today's meeting I detailed what had taken place in
discussions with the Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and other
Ministers in Beijing. Discussions included agreement to
promote closer co-operation between the Chinese and
Australian steel industries in the areas of:
prospects for increased Australian iron ore
exports to China
propsects for increased Australian iron and steel
exports to China
possible Australian investment in joint ventures in
the Chinese steel industry
prospects for technical co-operation in upgrading
Chinese coastal steel mills
possible Chinese investment in iron ore mining in
Australia.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN MEEING ON INITIATIVIE FORCO-OPER,. ATION
BETWEEN IRON AND STrEEL INDUSTkiES OF AUSTRALIA AND CHITNA
Federal Government Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Industry an
New South Wales The Hon. J. R. Hallam,
Minister for Agriculture
Fisheries
Queensland The Hon. I. Gibbs,
Minister for Mines and Ei
Victoria Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania BHP Aust. Coal Association
CSR d Commerce
and
nergy
The Hon. I,, Cathie, Minister for
Economic Development
The Hon. David Parker, Minister
for Minerals and Energy
Mr L. Rowe, Director, Department. of
State Development
Mr G. Oakes, Senior Executive
Officer, Department of Mines
Mr D. M. Rice, Executive Genera].
Manager ( Steel)
Mr T. Barlow, Chairman ( Hamersley
Holdings)
Dr J. B. Ritchie, Executive Director
Mr A. W. McAuley, Assistant General
Manager
Cliff Robe RiverMr V. Koontz