Sydney, Australia:: Australia has agreed to sell uranium to China for power generation as part of what Australian Prime Minister John Howard called a "remarkable transformation" of bilateral ties during the past decade.
The uranium deal was concluded Monday in Canberra during a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Two agreements -- one on uranium transfer and one on nuclear cooperation -- were signed by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing.
Downer said the agreements were consistent with Australia's long-term policy of applying safeguards and restrictions on uranium exports.
China wants to use more nuclear energy to power its fast-growing economy and to reduce its energy dependence on coal and oil.
The signing was witnessed by Howard and Wen, who earlier took a walk together to discuss the way the relationship between the two countries is developing.
Howard told a news conference in Canberra that relations between Australia and China had been "transformed" in the past decade.
China is Australia's second biggest trade partner, and already is a major buyer of commodities such as iron ore, coal and copper.
Australia holds about 40 percent of the world's known low-cost uranium deposits and agreed in principle during a visit by Howard to China in April last year to work on a nuclear safeguards agreement that would permit sales of uranium to China for peaceful purposes.
Plans to negotiate the nuclear cooperation agreement with China were confirmed by Downer last August.
The two agreements signed Monday augment a broader Australia-China free trade agreement that is now under negotiation.
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