Author: Frank Tudor, Australia-China Business Council

Australia’s relationship with China, both commercially and politically, is entering 2010 on positive terms. With Wang Wang and Funi recently working miracles for the South Australian tourism market, coupled with a sense of real political will in Canberra and Beijing to resume FTA negotiations and high level visits, many issues, such as the defence policy white paper, feel like distant memories. Now that it has come to trial there is also expectation of fair resolution of the Stern Hu affair.

Many factors help define the contemporary bilateral Australia-China relationship. As neighbours, Australia and China have a vested interest in maintaining peace and delivering prosperity across the region through mutually beneficial trade and investment. The key differences relate to China’s increasing scale of urbanisation and the prominent and unrivalled role of the State in maintaining the unity of Chinese civilisation. Read more…