On December 18, 2024, Chinese Consul General in Perth Long Dingbin published a named article titled " Sound & Stable China-Australia Relations are Solid Foundation for China-WA Exchanges and Cooperation" on WAMN NEWS. Marking the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping's state visit to Australia and the establishment of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the article reflects on the progress of China-Australia relations and pragmatic cooperation between China and WA. The full text is as follows:

The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Australia and the establishment of comprehensive strategic relationship between China and Australia.

Ten years ago, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Australia, which led to the elevation of China-Australia relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“Comprehensive” signifies that the China-Australia relations are not limited to economic and trade cooperation but extends to collaboration in any potential field and at all levels.

“Strategic” underscores that the significance of the bilateral relation transcends its bilateral nature, bearing regional and even global importance.

“Partnership” indicates that China and Australia are friends, not adversaries; partners, not rivals.

Over the past decade, China-Australia relations have maintained vitality and resilience on the whole, but also experienced ups and downs, causing losses to the interests of the two peoples.

Since 2022, President Xi has met thrice with Prime Minister Albanese, providing important strategic guidance for the continuous improvement and development of bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Albanese paid a successful visit to China last November and Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Australia this June, and they held another constructive meeting on the sidelines of this year's East Asia Summit.

Bilateral dialogue in various fields has resumed and trade concerns gradually resolved, with deepening mutual trust and improving cooperation dominating our bilateral relations.

Over the past decade, our economic and trade cooperation has reached a new level, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. Bilateral trade in goods has grown by 67.4 percent. China has been Australia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years since 2009. 

Australia’s goods trade surplus with China has increased from US $8.58 billion in 2015 to US $62.7 billion in 2023, which is close to 75 percent of Australia’s goods trade surplus with the world, and the average annual growth rate has reached 70 percent. 

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, trade with China enabled Australian households to save 4.2 percent of the cost of living and create nearly 600,000 jobs for Australia.

In the first nine months of this year, China imported bottled wine worth US $335.5 million from Australia, representing a 613-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

A record high of more than 250 Australian companies participated in this year’s China International Import Expo, which is a vote of confidence by Australian companies in China's economy and cooperation between the two countries.

A recent poll shows that 61% of Australian citizens believe closer ties should be established with China, and 62% see the benefits of the Australia-China relationship. These figures are encouraging and indicate significant potential for further improvement in cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

China-WA relations are an important part of China-Australia relations, and the sound and stable China-Australia relations serve as the solid foundation for China-WA exchanges and cooperation.  

In June, Chinese Premier Li Qiang successfully visited Western Australia, marking the first visit by a Chinese Premier to the state in 18 years, further highlighting Western Australia’s important position.

 For many years, China has been WA’s largest trading partner, largest export destination and largest source of imports, with exports to China accounting for more than half of Western Australia's total exports of goods. Trade with China in 2023 increased WA’s average household disposable income by 14.2% and created more than 220,000 jobs in WA. Lobsters from WA will soon return to the tables of Chinese consumers.

 Exchanges and cooperation between China and WA are close across various fields. WA has established two investment and trade offices in Shanghai and Hangzhou. It has a sister-state relationship with Zhejiang Province, while Perth is a sister city to Nanjing and Chengdu. Additionally, there are over 20 other sister-city relationships.

Universities in WA work closely with Chinese universities. Science and technology cooperation between China and WA has made steady progress. Professor Barry Marshall won China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award 2023.Professor Kadambot Siddique and 2 other Western Australians have won Chinese government Friendship Award.

On November 28, direct flights between Perth and Guangzhou resumes, and seasonal flights between Perth and Shanghai will also be relaunched. Starting from November 30, China’s visa-free stay for Australians increases from 15 days to 30 days, further facilitating exchanges and cooperation between China and Western Australia.

The productive exchanges and cooperation between China and WA have injected momentum into the stable development of China-Australia relations. As Premier Cook pointed out, WA has got a very close relationship with China, mutual prosperity is based upon this great trade and economic relationship.

Currently, China’s economy remains stable and is progressing steadily. Incremental economic policies are injecting new momentum into China’s development, new quality productive forces are steadily emerging, and high-quality development is advancing robustly. In the first three quarters, China’s GDP grew by 4.8% year-on-year, ranking among the top of major economies.

Despite facing certain challenges, China’s economy continues to maintain healthy and sustainable growth. History has proven—and will continue to prove—that China is a stable driving force for global economic growth. China’s high-quality development presents a significant strategic opportunity for the world, including Australia.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, there is no fundamental conflict of interests between China and Australia. As long as the two sides adhere to mutual respect, treat each other as equals and seek common ground while shelving differences, China-Australia relations will surely develop well.

Prime Minister Albanese told US president-elect Donald Trump in a latest phone call that “it’s in Australia’s interest to engage with China as our major source of trade”.

China and Australia are both Asia-Pacific countries and important members of the G20, with no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest, but every reason to be partners of mutual trust and mutual achievement. The two sides need to keep to the right direction of bilateral relations amid the profound changes in the world, injecting more stability and certainty into the region and the world.

As the Chinese Consul General in Perth, it is my sincere hope that WA friends from all walks of life could seize the historic opportunity of the development of our bilateral relations, send out more favorable and positive voices on our bilateral relations, and inject more energy to the solid and sustained progress of our bilateral relations to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.