CHALCO TO SIGN LAND USE DEAL

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Chalco, China's state-owned aluminium company, will today sign an agreement with indigenous landowners in Australia paving the way for a A$2.9bn ($2.4bn) bauxite mining project, one of the most significant Chinese mining investments abroad.

The agreement follows long negotiations between Chalco, the world's second-largest producer of aluminium, and the indigenous parties of the Aurukun region in northern Queensland.

It comes as Chinese companies have been stepping up their efforts to acquire deposits in Australia and secure resources to power the economy.
Beijing has lobbied the Australian and Queensland governments to support the Chalco project, requesting financial backing for infrastructure and help in the talks with traditional landowners.

Chinese companies have faced criticism for their handling of sustainable development and social issues in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, and their ability to meet international standards in overseas projects.

Gina Castelain, a representative for the Aboriginal people in the negotiations, said reaching an agreement had proved intense but “it's time for us to move on”.

“There are real opportunities here to create employment and benefit the community,” she said, adding: “We're very keen to have a good working relationship with Chalco.”

The agreement on indigenous land use covers issues such as royalties and environmental protection.

A senior Chinese delegation comprising representatives from both Chalco and the Queensland government is expected in Aurukun today for the signing.




世界第二大铝生产商——中国铝业股份有限公司(Chalco)今日将与澳大利亚原住民土地所有者签订一份协议，从而为价值29亿澳元（合24亿美元）的铝土矿开采项目铺平道路。该项目是中国迄今最重要的海外矿业投资之一。

此前，中国铝业与澳大利亚昆士兰州北部奥鲁昆地区原住民的代表进行了长期谈判。

近来，中国公司不断加大获取澳大利亚矿产的力度，并在全球范围内抢占资源，为本国经济提供动力。
中国政府曾向澳大利亚政府和昆士兰州政府进行游说，希望它们为该项目的基础设施提供财务支持，并协助中国铝业与当地土地所有者进行谈判。

在处理非洲、亚洲及其它地区的可持续发展和社会问题，以及达到海外项目国际标准的能力方面，中国公司一直面临着外界的批评。

代表澳大利亚原住民的谈判代表吉娜•卡斯特兰(Gina Castelain)表示，事实证明，达成协议相当困难，但“现在是我们取得进展的时候了”。

“这个项目确实有机会创造就业，并使当地部落受益，”她补充称，“我们非常希望与中国铝业建立良好的工作关系。”

这份用地协议涵盖了土地使用费和环保方面的问题。预计由中国铝业和昆士兰州政府代表组成的中方高级代表团，将于今日在奥鲁昆签订这份协议。