Promoting Australia-Southwest China Relations  

Consul-General Christopher Lim visited Australia to participate in the 2019 Global Heads of Mission Meeting 9-13 September. Starting in Canberra, the visit was an opportunity to get direct insights from Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured above), Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Simon Birmingham. 

Consul-General Lim also visited Queensland’s Fraser Coast, which has a sister-city in Sichuan’s Leshan, where he met with Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour (pictured above) and representatives from the University of the Sunshine Coast (Fraser Coast) (pictured below), as well as addressing the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce on potential export opportunities to southwest China. 

In Brisbane, sister-city of southwest China’s Chongqing metropolis, Consul-General Lim joined Brisbane City Councillor Vicki Howard on a tour of the Brisbane Pride Gardens (pictured below), before holding productive meetings with Trade and Investment Queensland and City of Gold Coast on how to further deepen their relationship with southwest China. 

Power Footy! 

Port Adelaide Football Club launched its Power Footy program in Chengdu on 23 September. Funded through the Australia China Council grants scheme, Power Footy will teach Australian Rules Football to Chengdu high school students studying the South Australian Certificate of Education. Deputy Consul-General Samuel Bentley gave a speech at the opening event (pictured above).

The program aims to bring together Australian and Chinese sports enthusiasts and pave the way for Chinese students to appreciate Australian sporting culture before undertaking studies in Australia. The program is delivered locally in partnership with sports services company the Australian Movement. 

Understanding the China - Australia Free Trade Agreement 

The China - Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) is the talk of southwest China’s business community after a successful AustCham West China information seminar on 4 September.  

Austcham West China Chairman Stephen Young opened the event, which featured a keynote address by Trade and Investment Commissioner Tim White (pictured above) and in-depth analysis of key trends and opportunities in a Q&A session with ANZ Bank Chengdu Branch Manager Davis Fan (pictured below). AustCham West China General Manager Kyri Theos moderated the discussion.

During a question and answer session with industry and government, strong interest was shown in the potential benefits for importers of beef, lamb, wine and dairy.

Strengthening Meat Industry Cooperation  

The Australian meat industry is poised to make further inroads into the China market, following the signing of two memoranda of understanding at the Shuanghui World Meat Industry Development Conference in Chengdu on 24 September. Consul-General Lim addressed the conference (pictured above), and witnessed both signings (pictured below).

Australian and Chinese meat industry bodies, including the Australian Meat Industry Council and Meat and Livestock Australia, pledged to establish a joint meat industry working group with the China Meat Association. A second agreement was signed between the China Meat Association and Australian Pork Limited to promote pork industry cooperation.  

Australian Meat Industry Council CEO Patrick Hutchinson told Xinhua News that the Chinese red meat market has a huge potential, with Australian beef exports to China having exceeded 170,000 tonnes this year. 

Chengdu International Bookstore Forum 

Brisbane’s Riverbend Books and Teahouse CEO Suzy Wilson and author Markus Zusak will speak at the 2019 Chengdu International Bookstore Forum 1-3 November. Wilson will join the “Bookstores as Curatorial Power” forum at 430 pm on 1 November, while Zuzak will speak about his experiences as a writer at 7 pm on 2 November. The venue is the Fangsuo Commune Bookstore, Chengdu. Keep an eye on the Fangsuo Commune website for more updates.

Consul-General Christopher Lim's Blog - "Coffee’s Robust Rise in China"  

"Tea is, without doubt, the preferred beverage of the Chinese people. Tea culture, especially in southwest China, is steeped in history and an inextricable part of daily life. But a relatively new phenomenon – coffee – is taking China by storm. Young urban professionals, particularly women, have taken to coffee with gusto. While China still ranks low in coffee consumption on a per-capita basis (at three cups a year versus 300 in Australia and 363 cups in the United States), coffee consumption has risen exponentially". 

LGBTIQ Awareness

The Australian Consulate-General in Chengdu marked Wear It Purple Day on 30 August with a morning tea. Consul-General Lim took the opportunity to share the story of Tyler Clementi, who took his own life in 2010 after falling victim to cyberbullying, to highlight the importance of greater LGBTIQ awareness and inclusiveness.