Australia confident regarding Chinese demand

MANADO, Indonesia - China will need large quantities of Australian raw materials as its industrialization and urbanization race ahead, despite concerns about weak global economic conditions, Australia's Trade Minister Craig Emerson said on Friday.

Emerson also hinted that a fall in the Australian dollar amid the volatility that has jolted global financial markets for the past week was good, saying the strong currency had hurt manufacturing and exporters.

Fresh from a visit to China, the world's No 2 economy and Australia's biggest trade partner, Emerson said he was optimistic about China's ability to continue to grow strongly even as debt concerns threaten the economies of Europe and the United States.