On August 18, 2003, Jiang Zemin, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China met with visiting Prime Minister of Australia John Howard at Zhongnanhai.

Jiang told Howard that his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders will help increase mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries. In recent years, bilateral relationship has enjoyed long-term stable and sound development with good momentum.

Jiang said that as the world is moving toward multi-polarization and economic globalization is accelerating, problems and disputes that threaten mankind are cropping up. "I always think that the world should be colorful and diversified," Jiang said. "As an old Chinese saying goes, 'gentlemen maintain harmonious relations while keeping their differences'."  All disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and cooperation. Peaceful coexistence and mutual respect of each other's histories, cultures, social systems and modes of development will help maintain peace and development of the world.

Howard recalled his past meetings with Jiang and said Australia-China relations have marched forward under the consensus resulted from those meetings. The prime minister said he is fully confident of the future growth of Australia-China relations.