Home » Opinion » Foreign Views
Australia intensifies business exchanges with China
By Ted Baillieu |
October 23, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A GREAT transition is taking place, as the world's economic center of gravity moves eastward to the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, Australia is challenged by a high dollar, increasing competition and weak growth or recession in traditional trading partners.
At a time of unprecedented international uncertainty, the challenge is to build our prosperity in a quickly changing Asia Pacific. China is central to this challenge.
As it is already Australia's largest trading partner, engagement with China has never been more important to the generation of jobs, growth and investment here. And the market in China has never been more competitive.
The question for government is how to enable Australian businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to make the most of the opportunities that China's development is creating. National governments remain center stage, but increasingly there is a vital role for the states in building prosperity across borders.
The Victorian government is taking the initiative with an ambitious program of international and regional engagement, unprecedented in size and scale in Australia's history. Recently we launched Victoria's China strategy to strengthen engagement by facilitating exports, attracting investment, partnering through R&D, further developing relationships and boosting Victoria's "China literacy."
Australia's largest-ever trade mission to China, which I led last month, is an important part of that strategy but by no means its end point. Participating in the mission were more than 650 people representing 400 world-class businesses and organizations which collectively employ over 100,000 people in Victoria and represent a combined annual revenue of over US$65 billion.
Making its mark
Eighty per cent of participants were small and medium enterprises. Forty-two percent were new to the China market and 32 percent are not currently exporters. Around 2,000 business-to-business meetings took place.
Collectively, the 400 companies and organizations that participated in Victoria's trade mission point the way to Australia's economic future. Australia can make its mark in an increasingly wealthy Asia Pacific with world's best services, clean, green food and beverage products and leading-edge manufacturing.
Education is a good example. Monash University is opening a campus in Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, making Monash the first Australian institution to open a campus in China. Victorian universities will collectively offer up to 70 new PhD and master's scholarships for Chinese students.
Around 1,500 Victorian Year-9 students will head in the other direction to immerse themselves in Chinese language and culture through an exchange program with Jiangsu Province. And the first round of Hamer Scholarship students has just arrived in China as part of the Victorian government's new initiative to grow Chinese language skills in key sectors.
In tourism, Victoria has moved quickly to capitalize on Melbourne's standing as the world's "most liveable°" city by launching Tourism Victoria's innovative, US$8 million China campaign, as part of a China tourism strategy.
The Victorian government is also working to attract Chinese investment. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank will be opening new branches in Victoria, creating jobs and increasing the flow of capital. Technology firm VanceInfo will create 60 new jobs here. Manufacturer Anhui Joy Sense Cable is opening its regional headquarters in Victoria, bringing investments of up to US$200 million and creating up to 200 new jobs.
The lesson of these new partnerships is that, as a diversified economy, we have far more to offer as China's development becomes less capital-intensive.
Most vital task
As we strengthen relations with China, it is interesting to reflect that 2012 is the 20th anniversary of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour (in 1992). The Southern Tour rededicated China to economic development and China has never looked back.
Just as economic development is the work of decades, building the relationships and creating the conditions for Australians to prosper is a long-term effort.
In a dynamic region and at a time of economic transition, there is no more vital task.
Ted Baillieu is the premier of the Australian state of Victoria and led Australia's largest trade mission to China in September. Shanghai Daily condensed the article.
At a time of unprecedented international uncertainty, the challenge is to build our prosperity in a quickly changing Asia Pacific. China is central to this challenge.
As it is already Australia's largest trading partner, engagement with China has never been more important to the generation of jobs, growth and investment here. And the market in China has never been more competitive.
The question for government is how to enable Australian businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to make the most of the opportunities that China's development is creating. National governments remain center stage, but increasingly there is a vital role for the states in building prosperity across borders.
The Victorian government is taking the initiative with an ambitious program of international and regional engagement, unprecedented in size and scale in Australia's history. Recently we launched Victoria's China strategy to strengthen engagement by facilitating exports, attracting investment, partnering through R&D, further developing relationships and boosting Victoria's "China literacy."
Australia's largest-ever trade mission to China, which I led last month, is an important part of that strategy but by no means its end point. Participating in the mission were more than 650 people representing 400 world-class businesses and organizations which collectively employ over 100,000 people in Victoria and represent a combined annual revenue of over US$65 billion.
Making its mark
Eighty per cent of participants were small and medium enterprises. Forty-two percent were new to the China market and 32 percent are not currently exporters. Around 2,000 business-to-business meetings took place.
Collectively, the 400 companies and organizations that participated in Victoria's trade mission point the way to Australia's economic future. Australia can make its mark in an increasingly wealthy Asia Pacific with world's best services, clean, green food and beverage products and leading-edge manufacturing.
Education is a good example. Monash University is opening a campus in Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, making Monash the first Australian institution to open a campus in China. Victorian universities will collectively offer up to 70 new PhD and master's scholarships for Chinese students.
Around 1,500 Victorian Year-9 students will head in the other direction to immerse themselves in Chinese language and culture through an exchange program with Jiangsu Province. And the first round of Hamer Scholarship students has just arrived in China as part of the Victorian government's new initiative to grow Chinese language skills in key sectors.
In tourism, Victoria has moved quickly to capitalize on Melbourne's standing as the world's "most liveable°" city by launching Tourism Victoria's innovative, US$8 million China campaign, as part of a China tourism strategy.
The Victorian government is also working to attract Chinese investment. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank will be opening new branches in Victoria, creating jobs and increasing the flow of capital. Technology firm VanceInfo will create 60 new jobs here. Manufacturer Anhui Joy Sense Cable is opening its regional headquarters in Victoria, bringing investments of up to US$200 million and creating up to 200 new jobs.
The lesson of these new partnerships is that, as a diversified economy, we have far more to offer as China's development becomes less capital-intensive.
Most vital task
As we strengthen relations with China, it is interesting to reflect that 2012 is the 20th anniversary of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour (in 1992). The Southern Tour rededicated China to economic development and China has never looked back.
Just as economic development is the work of decades, building the relationships and creating the conditions for Australians to prosper is a long-term effort.
In a dynamic region and at a time of economic transition, there is no more vital task.
Ted Baillieu is the premier of the Australian state of Victoria and led Australia's largest trade mission to China in September. Shanghai Daily condensed the article.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
