CANBERRA - China and Australia on Monday held the fourth China-Australia education joint work group meeting in Canberra of Australia.

The meeting was jointly-chaired by Du Yubo, China's Vice Minister of Education, and Robert Griew, Australian Associate Secretary for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations.

During the talks, they have exchanged views on how to continue strengthening cooperation in education between the two countries.

They have also discussed ways to strengthen the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries' leading universities, in a move to promote exchange of students.

They said the two sides have reached a series of agreement at the meeting, and both stressed the need to provide an effective study and living conditions, as well as to protect the interest of overseas students.

China and Australia have also signed a "Jointly Work Plan" to determine the priority areas of educational cooperation in the next two years, which include higher education, vocational education, Chinese language teaching and student mobility.

Du pointed out that Sino-Australian educational cooperation are complement to each other, and he expressed broad prospects on the future of the development between the two countries.

"China will constantly enrich the content of educational exchange with Australia, enhance the level of bilateral educational cooperation, as well as to make greater efforts to deepen cultural exchanges between the two countries," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

On Monday morning, Du held talks with Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, in the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra. Both sides have agreed to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in education.

During Du's trip to Australia, he has visited some universities and educational institutions.