——Keynote Speech by Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian at the International Relations Conference of the 2025 Darwin Fusion
Hon.Kon Vatskalis,
Hon.Luke Gosling,
Ladiesand gentlemen,
Good morning! First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Lord Mayor of Darwin The Hon Kon Vatskalis for inviting me to attend the International Relations Conference as part of the 2025 Darwin Fusion. This is my second visit to the Northern Territory. I had the pleasure of visiting Darwin in 2023 to attend the inaugural Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival. The natural scenery and cultural charm of the Northern Territory have left a profound impression on me.
Over the past three years, through the joint efforts of both sides, China-Australia relations have steadily improved and developed, achieving a comprehensive turnaround. The two countries have maintained frequent High-level exchanges. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Albanese have met three times on different occasions, engaging in in-depth communication on strategic, comprehensive and directional issues concerning the development of China-Australia relations, and reaching important common understandings that have provided strategic guidance for the improvement and growth of bilateral relations. Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Albanese have had successful reciprocal visits, and mechanisms for dialogue and exchange across various sectors have been resumed, playing a crucial role in enhancing mutual understanding and expanding practical cooperation between the two nations.
Not long ago, Australia’s new government was sworn into office. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang sent congratulatory messages to Prime Minister Albanese on his re-election, emphasizing that further strengthening cooperation between China and Australia is of great significance for achieving common development of the two countries and promoting peace and stability in the world. China looks forward to working together with the new Australian government to promote the establishment of a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Subnational exchange forms the bedrock of China-Australia relations. Among all Australian states and territories, the Northern Territory is geographically closest to China and serves as an important Australia’s gateway to Asia. This gives it unique advantages in developing mutually beneficial cooperation with China. For many years, China and the Northern Territory have maintained friendly exchanges and cooperation, achieving substantial outcomes.
—Deepening Practical Cooperation. China is the Northern Territory’s second-largest export market. The Territory mainly exports metal ores and natural gas to China, while importing industrial manufactured goods, machinery and electrical equipment from China, fully demonstrating the complementary and mutually beneficial nature of the bilateral economic relationship. In 2024, the Northern Territory’s exports to China reached AUD 2.151 billion, with imports from China totaling AUD 240 million. Additionally, the two sides have maintained sound cooperation in ports, logistics, and other fields.
In this regard, I would like to specifically highlight the positive contributions made by China’s Landbridge Group to the Northern Territory since leasing and operating the Port of Darwin. Since 2015, Landbridge has invested over AUD 83 million to maintain and upgrade port facilities, construct a refrigerated container park, and improve bulk cargo operations. These efforts have significantly boosted the port’s handling capacity, with the gross registered tonnage (GRT) of vessels calling at the port increasing by 95.7% from 16 million tons to 31.316 million tons. Notably, the majority of construction projects have been implemented by local enterprises in the Northern Territory, thereby promoting local employment and economic development. Moreover, Landbridge Group has actively fulfilled social responsibility by participating in and generously sponsoring numerous community initiatives in the Darwin Port area.
—Enhancing People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges. China is a major source of overseas tourists and international students for the Northern Territory. The Confucius Institute at Charles Darwin University has been one of the best-performing Confucius Institutes in Australia. It has made significant contributions to promoting Chinese language education, disseminating Chinese culture, and strengthening friendship and cooperation between the Northern Territory and China. We express our gratitude to the Northern Territory Government and the City of Darwin for their longstanding and strong support for the Institute’s operation. Additionally, many Chinese immigrants arrived in the Northern Territory during Australia’s early colonial era to seek opportunities in gold mining and settlement, playing a vital role in fostering economic, cultural, and grassroots exchanges between China and the Territory.
—Leveraging the Bond of Sister/Friendship City. The Northern Territory and China’s Anhui province established sister-state relations in 2000. The Northern Territory also maintains friendly relations with Guangdong Province and Shandong Province. Darwin has also established sister-city relationships with Haikou, Guangzhou and Qingdao, all of which have yielded fruitful collaboration. China warmly welcomes delegations from the Northern Territory and the City of Darwin and explore new opportunities for cooperation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
At present, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with transformation and instability intertwined. The surging tide of unilateralism and protectionism has severely impacted the international economic and trade order. China and the United States recently held high-level economic and trade meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The two sides engaged in candid, in-depth, and constructive communication, reaching a series of important consensuses, including an agreement to significantly reduce bilateral tariffs. This measure meets the expectations of producers and consumers in both countries, and is also in line with the interests of both nations, and the common interests of the world. It is hoped that,based on this talk, the United States will continue to work in the same direction as China, completely correct the wrong practice of unilaterally imposing tariffs, continuously strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, maintain the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations, and jointly inject more certainty and stability into the world economy.
Faced with a volatile international landscape, China will remain firm to stand on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, using its own stability to help anchor an uncertain world. Not long ago, China convened both the Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries and the Annual Conference of Chinese Diplomatic Envoys Stationed Abroad. These meetings underscored the need to build a community with a shared future with neighboring countries by enhancing strategic mutual trust with them, deepening integration and development, jointly safeguarding regional stability and expanding exchanges and interactions. Australia is China’s neighbour’s neighbour and a comprehensive strategic partner of China. China is ready to work with Australia to strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation, properly manage differences under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, jointly address various risks and challenges and achieve common development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It has been three years since I became Chinese Ambassador to Australia. I have visited all states and territories of Australia and deeply felt the strong desire among Australians from all sectors to expand mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries, and the widespread confidence in the future of our bilateral friendship. China-Australia relations are now at a new historical starting point. Both sides should adopt a more proactive approach to jointly build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, delivering greater benefits to our two countries and peoples.
On the one hand, we should consolidate the positive momentum of bilateral relations. China has always viewed Australia and China-Australia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. What China brings to Australia is cooperation and opportunity, development dividends rather than threats or challenges. Both sides should continue to uphold the positioning of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, maintain the momentum of high-level engagements and promote in-depth and concrete cooperation across various fields.
On the other hand, we should continue to deepen subnational exchanges and cooperation. The healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations must rely on subnational-level cooperation and deliver benefits to local communities. China and the Northern Territory should strengthen mutual visits and exchanges. We should expand and enhance cooperation in traditional sectors and actively cultivate new growth areas in marine fisheries, health and medicine, scientific and technological innovation, renewable energy and infrastructure. Meanwhile, China hopes that the Northern Territory Government will continue to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the Territory.
Sister/Friendship city exchanges serve as an important bond in subnational interactions. This conference brings together distinguished guests from near and far. We look forward to this event creating more opportunities for the development of the Northern Territory and further advance collaborative prospects for China-Australia relations.
In conclusion, I wish the International Relations Conference of the 2025 Darwin Fusion a complete success!
Thank you!