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Australia PM Gillard: China growth remains strong
June 6, 2012, 9:34 p.m. EDT
By Ray Brindal
June 6, 2012, 9:34 p.m. EDT
By Ray Brindal
CANBERRA--Australia's biggest trading partner, China, will continue growing strongly as the country moves to lift people out of poverty through a broad urbanization program, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Thursday.
Australia will continue to benefit from China's growth, even as recent data points to an economic slowdown in that nation, Ms. Gillard said in an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio in Sydney.
"They need somewhere to live and it's Australian commodities that are helping them build what they are going to live in, and that phenomenon--urbanization of China--is going to continue for a long time yet," she said.
Australia's first-quarter economic growth numbers, issued Wednesday, were the strongest in four years, Ms. Gillard added, as the data confirmed uneven growth between mining and non-mining sectors of the economy.
Australia's average measure of gross domestic product rose 1.3% in the first quarter of 2012 from the fourth quarter of 2011, and 4.3% on year.
"Consumption in these figures is strong, so the economy has got more strength than just in mining, but there is still a patchwork effect here," she said.
The government's Mineral Resources Rent Tax, a charge on the profits of resources companies, will help spread the benefits of the country's mining boom, Ms. Gillard added.
Australia PM Gillard: China growth remains strong - MarketWatch