On Sunday, Anthony delivered the Keynote speech at the Australia China Economics Trade and Culture Association (ACETCA) Annual Gala Dinner 2018. You can read the full speech below:
I am pleased to be here tonight representing the Australian Labor Party.
Australia and China have a long standing relationship and it is in Australia’s national interest to deepen our engagement with China.
Now the world’s second largest economy, China is Australia’s biggest trading partner and export market, with a total trade value exceeding $174 billion for 2017.
However, the value in the Sino-Australia relationship cannot be measured by numbers alone.
Cultural and people to people links are a critical part of our relationship and we must continue to develop those links between governments, business and civil society.
The Australia China Economics Trade and Culture Association (ACETCA) is a leading organisation responsible for advancing the friendship between China and Australia.
Indeed, ACETCA’s own mission statement – promoting economic and trade development, technology exchange and social harmony, is a tribute to the organisation’s leadership in the sphere of Sino-Australia Relations.
ACETCA met a milestone this year, when over half a million people attended the Chinese New Year Lantern Festival in Sydney, in celebration of the Eleventh Zodiac, the Year of the Dog.
Furthermore, ACETCA’s recent support of our NSW Rural Fire Service and St. John Ambulance Australia should be commended.
The Chinese community is a shining example of the great successes of multiculturalism and diversity in contemporary Australia.
I only have to step outside of my office in the Inner West of Sydney to see first-hand the great contribution made to our community by Chinese Australians in the form of local businesses.
Some recent reports in the media have suggested that the Sino-Australia friendship has become strained. However in my experience the personal relations between our two peoples remain very strong.
We accept that we are different societies and different political systems, and on that basis we are able to cooperate in our mutual interest, which will continue into the future.
There is an old Chinese proverb that epitomises the unique relationship between our two nations that when translated into English reads:
‘If people are of one heart, even the yellow earth can become gold’.
Thank you again for having me here tonight.