Join Hands in a Changing World for 

Greater Progress in China-Australia Relations

——Keynote Speech by Ambassador Xiao Qian at the Australian Institute of International Affairs 

(February 27, 2025, Hobart)

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from Tasmania,

Good afternoon! First, I would like to say thanks to the AIIA Tasmania Branch for inviting me to today’s event. Tasmania holds a unique place in China-Australia relations. Ten years ago, President Xi Jinping's visit to Tasmania deepened the friendship between our peoples. Now at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, I am pleased to visit Tasmania once again, to extend my best wishes to both the old and new friends here, and to share my thoughts on the current international situation, China-Australia relations, and exchanges between China and Tasmania.

Right now, changes in the world, in our times and in history are unfolding in ways like never before. The deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are deepening, and humanity faces unprecedented challenges:

The international security situation is severe, with both traditional and non-traditional security threats on the rise. The Ukraine crisis, the Gaza Conflict, and other global hotspots remain unresolved, with their spillover effects becoming increasingly apparent. The urgency of addressing non-traditional security challenges, such as climate change and the energy crisis, continues to grow. 

Globalization faces headwinds, with escalating pressures on global economic recovery process. Some countries cling to unilateralism and protectionism. They seek to decouple and disrupt industrial and supply chains, threaten to launch tariffs and trade wars for pursuing their self-interest at the expense of damaging international economic order and interests of other countries. Disparities in global development and uneven distribution of benefits of globalization have been more pronounced, disrupting global economic cooperation and recovery process.

International cooperation is hindered, with deep-rooted challenges in global governance. According to the Global Cooperation Barometer 2025, political and geopolitical turbulence severely impacts multilateral cooperation, and global cooperation “has already stagnated”. In the face of significant security and development challenges, the status of the United Nations has been repeatedly undermined, and multilateral trade mechanisms have been weakened.

However, the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable. At recent meetings like the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and the Munich Security Conference, voices calling for economic globalization and world multipolarization grew louder. The consensus is clear, as a Chinese proverb reads, “The going may be tough when one walks alone, but it gets easier when people walk together”. The call for nations to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and work together to address international challenges and governance crises, remains to be the mainstream of international community.

In response to these changes in our world, China’s position remains firm and consistent: we advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. China is determined to be a constructive force in the transformative world and is willing to inject more stability into this changing world.

First, China will continue to be the defender of world peace. China has the best record on peace and security. China continues to pursue a peaceful development path and advocates for resolving disputes through peaceful means. In the Ukraine crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and other hotspots, China has repeatedly sent special envoys to mediate and facilitate peace talks and continues to play the constructive role. China has never engaged in so-called geopolitical competition and rather, China calls on all nations to resolve differences through dialogue, adhering to a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept.

Second, China will continue to be the “enabler” of global development. In 2024, China’s GDP grew by 5%, contributing nearly 30% to global economic growth and continuing to serve as a critical engine for the global economy, offering the world the benefits of its super-large market. China is committed to high-quality economic development driven by its own model of modernization, following the blueprint set by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of Communist Party of China for deepening reforms and expanding opening-up. China continues to create opportunities for global development and to fuel economic globalization.

Third, China will continue to be the builder of global governance. China upholds the concept of a shared future for humanity, practices genuine multilateralism, and advocates global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and as a founding member, China supports the UN’s core role in advancing global governance. We have put forward and implemented initiatives on global development, global security, and global civilization, providing public goods for improving global governance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Asia-Pacific region has long been an anchor of stability for global development, and a pacesetter for international cooperation. The peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific not only are crucial to the region’s future, but also directly influence the future of the global economy and international politics. As two major countries in this region, the stability and development of China-Australia relations are fundamental to the well-being of both our peoples and the prosperity and stability of the region.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Australia relations have shown remarkable resilience, weathering ups and downs. Yet the overall trend of progress has never faltered. In recent years, we uphold Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, guiding bilateral relations through storms to achieve comprehensive turnaround. Since 2022, President Xi Jinping has met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on three occasions, providing important strategic direction for the development of our relations. The two leaders have reached significant consensus on improving bilateral relations, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, and supporting and safeguarding economic globalization and free trade. Premier Li Qiang and PM Albanese have exchanged successful visits. Dialogues in various fields have been resumed, with deepening mutual trust and promoting cooperation being the mainstream of our bilateral relations.

Under the guidance of high-level exchanges, bilateral cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the total volume of bilateral trade exceeded 320 billion AUD, with China continuing to be Australia’s largest trade partner, export market and source of imports for 15th consecutive years. Trade issues such as beef, wine, lobster, and wind towers exports have been properly resolved. By October 2024, Australia’s wine exports to China had surged 50-fold. Australian lobster exports to China have created 3,000 jobs for the locals. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, trade with China increased the average Australian household’s disposable income by 2,600 AUD and created 595,600 jobs, which accounted for 4.2% of Australia’s total employment. China and Australia have also become major sources of tourism for each other. Last year, the two countries reached a visa reciprocity agreement, facilitating a easier travel for both sides.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It has been three years since I became Chinese Ambassador to Australia. I have witnessed firsthand the whole process of recovery, improvement and turnaround of our bilateral relations. Recently, I attended Chinese New Year celebrations across states and territories of Australia and engaged with local representatives. I was deeply impressed by the solid foundation of people-to-people ties between the two countries and the Australian people’s widespread recognition of China’s development and success. There is a shared understanding that the continued growth of China-Australia relations serves the common interests of both nations and meets the expectations of countries in the region.

The stabilization and improvement of our relations did not happen overnight. Given the global changes we face, we must cherish the hard-won progress in our relations, actively implement the strategic consensus reached by our leaders, and base our efforts on the fundamental interests of both nations and their peoples. I would like to share a few thoughts:

First, we should view each other in an objective light . Both our leaders have emphasized the importance of upholding our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which means China and Australia are friends and partners, not foes or rivals. Since the establishment of our diplomatic relations over 50 years ago, China has always regarded Australia as a friend. China’s peaceful development has never posed threats to Australia, but has instead provided significant opportunities for Australia’s growth.

Second, we should manage our differences wisely. In November last year, during a meeting with Prime Minister Albanese at the G20 summit in Brazil, President Xi Jinping pointed out that there are no fundamental conflicts of interest between China and Australia. As long as both sides respect each other, treat each other equally, and seek common ground while shelving differences, China-Australia relations will surely prosper. Despite our differences in social systems and cultures, it is essential to manage them maturely and wisely without letting them define the bilateral relationship.

Third, we should continue to expand common interests. China and Australia have different but highly complementary economic structures with vast potential for cooperation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (CHAFTA). We should fully explore the potential of this agreement, solidifying cooperation in traditional sectors like agriculture and minerals, while discovering new areas of collaboration such as energy transformation, innovation, and artificial intelligence, so as to leveraging our complementary advantages in energy transformation, innovation, and maintaining of stability of the production and supply chain.

Fourth, we should adhere to our responsibility and commitment to the region and the globe. Facing the complex international and regional landscape, China and Australia share common interests in upholding multilateralism and opposing trade protectionism. China views Australia as an important force in the process of world multipolarization and is committed to strengthening communication and coordination with Australia in multilateral fields. Together, we can help safeguard multilateralism, address global challenges like climate change, and promote regional and global prosperity and stability.

Local exchanges are an essential component of China-Australia relations and thus become the foundation of our friendship. The relationship between China and Tasmania serves as a model of sub-national exchanges. Over the years, China and Tasmania have maintained close exchanges and achieved fruitful results. China has been Tasmania’s largest trading partner for many years, and the two sides have carried out a range of collaborative projects, including in Antarctic research and marine science. A few months ago, Premier Rockliff led a delegation to China, sending a positive signal on promoting our tie of friendship. China looks forward to continuing the momentum of our exchanges, further strengthening cooperation with Tasmania in traditional areas such as trade, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism, while expanding into new fields such as green economy, artificial intelligence, and polar research. These efforts will help bring greater benefits to the people of both countries and inject positive energy into the long-term stability and growth of China-Australia relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This year marks the Chinese New Year of the Snake. In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes vitality and wisdom. I expect China and Australia to move forward together with an enterprising spirit, and to work together to respond to global changes, seize opportunities for cooperation, and promote the further development of our bilateral relations. I sincerely hope and believe that all of you present here today would continue to support the further development of China-Australia relations, and of China and Tasmania cooperation.

Thank you.