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Related documents: Position paper on Sister State and
Sister City Relations Between Australia and China Chamber letter to Sister City News Information about cities
and provinces in China. |
MAKING SISTER CITY RELATIONS WORK FOR THE ECONOMIC 12 March 2002 Sponsoring organisations: Local Government and
Shires Associations NSW (LGSA) Australian Sister
Cities Association (ASCA) Australia China
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New South Wales (ACCCI) |
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Capturing Economic Opportunities With
China Through Sister City Relationships New South Wales is the economic
powerhouse of Australia, and China of the Asia Pacific Region. As such, they offer considerable
opportunities for mutual commercial benefit which may be captured through
Sister City relationships. NSW has a population of over 6.5
million and Sydney is Australia’s largest city with a population of over 4
million, roughly 1/3 and 1/4, respectively, of Australia’s total
population. Even the population of
Sydney pales in comparison to many Chinese cities, and once into Regional
NSW, we see a considerable disparity in size between even our largest
regional cities and cities from China seeking Sister City relationships with
them. If size alone is a critical
factor in the determination of potential success of a Sister City
relationship, then few would succeed.
However, there are a number of commercial reasons why NSW (and
Australia) and China have much to gain through the establishment of closer
relationships that Sister Cities offer. NSW accounts for 36 per cent of
Australia’s total economy, and at over A$213 billion per year GDP. NSW’s economy is equal to or larger than
the national economies of many countries in our region including New Zealand,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. The NSW economy has grown for
over 6 years without interruption, currently over 4 per cent per annum. We have a AAA credit rating which is rare
in the region. There are a number of reasons
why over 50 per cent of Australia and New Zealand’s top 500 companies are
headquartered in NSW and over 280 Regional Headquarters servicing the
Asia-Pacific Region are registered in NSW: We have a time zone which allows
a business to work here in the morning while the US East Coast markets are
open, lead into Asia by mid-day, and then flow into the opening of the
European markets in the afternoon. Our Asia-Pacific location has
ensured a transportation network which can move products and people
throughout the world, with efficiency and economy. Served by 5 international optic
fibre cable networks, we have the communications infrastructure of the 21st
century in place with capacity for growth - today. NSW has the services which
business need to succeed - telecommunications, finance, IT, insurance,
etc. In fact, 80 per cent of the NSW
GDP is generated by the service sector of our economy. NSW has 11 Universities; over
130 TAFE technical and vocational training colleges; and hundreds of private
schools and institutions of higher and continuing education. We are developing our greatest asset, our
minds - and creating a wealth which will benefit not just Australia, but the
people’s of the world, for generations to come. Over 35 of Australia’s 64
Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) bring together Government, Education
and the Private Sector in targeted Research and Development which is designed
to produce commercial results within commercial marketplace demands and
constraints. As a stable democratic nation,
Australia has the systems in place to ensure that individual and corporate
rights are protected from civil unrest, unlawful confiscation and illegal
conversion by government or private individuals. We have an open legal system which is codified, fair and
subject to international obligations and scrutiny. Cooperative governments throughout Australia allow commerce to
thrive in a open marketplace. Perhaps our most important asset
is our multicultural society. Over
130 different nationalities make Sydney and NSW an exciting, vibrant place to
live, raise a family and do business.
When my family and I became Australian citizens 5 years ago, out of
125 new citizens, 75 countries were represented! Did you know that nearly 1 on 4
residents of Sydney fluently speaks another language in addition to English? It is easy to see why nearly 44 per cent
of all of the international call centres in the Asia-Pacific Region are
located in NSW. Are you aware that nearly 1/4 of
all residents of Sydney were 1stt generation migrants (including
yours truly) or that when you consider 1stt and 2nd generation
migrants, over 45 per cent of us fall into this category? People make international business
work. Here in NSW, business gets not
only a highly skilled, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, highly educated
workforce, but employees who can spearhead their penetration into the markets
of the world. Our economy in NSW is built upon a rich natural resource base in timber, minerals, fishing and agriculture. We have considerable strengths in the resources area and can supply customers not only with products and raw materials, but also with technology and information. Resource companies may be in the metropolitan areas, but the resources are throughout NSW, and many of our local communities are reservoirs of considerable knowledge and expertise in high demand in China. Built upon our rich
resources-base economy, we have developed world-class technology and
value-added manufacturing to process and refine our natural resources. Through the transfer of this
Australian-made technology we can help bring the technology to the markets of
the world - to the benefit of the millions of people living in it. The service sector accounts for
over 80 per cent of NSW’s total economic output and is our fastest growing
export area. China has a vast market
for Australian expertise in legal, insurance and banking sectors; in
information technology, architectural and building services, environmental
protection and management consultancy. Each year NSW exports over $30
billion of goods and services to the world and we do over $3.25 billion trade
(over 10 per cent of our total international trade) with China alone, which
is roughly our 5th largest trading partner in the world. While currently our major trade exports to
China are raw materials and resources and our main imports from China are
manufactured goods, the trade between our countries is growing. Also, and not recorded in these
merchandise trade figures, Australian services are in great demand in China
and considerable opportunities exist for increased trade in this valuable
sector. It is this stable base to our
overall economy and the economic power it has brought us, which when combined
with our key success factors, allows even the more modest sized NSW (and
Australian) cities to enter into successful Sister City relationships with
Chinese cities which may have a far larger population. We have products, technology, services and
markets China needs. China has
products, technology, services and markets we need. In the next few decades, China will overtake the USA as the largest economy in the world. With over 1.25 billion population, China is a market that offers Australia a partner in the Region which can benefit us both for generations to come. In the post WTO world for China, the economy is
still over 50 per cent State controlled, especially in key sectors. In order to educate and open the eyes of
Chinese government, education and business leaders, increasing numbers of
delegations from China are visiting the west, including Australia, to see
what we have to offer. As relations between governments in are most
respected in China, Australian business needs help from Australian
governments on all levels to open doors and facilitate introductions with
their Chinese counterparts. This
means hosting delegations; presenting well developed and understandable
information and programs; attending receptions and events as partners with
our business and trade representatives; and not least, establishing and
committing to Sister City relationships where a reasonable match has been
identified. In international trade, an axiom states that
“friends do business with friends”.
Large amounts of trust are involved in establishing commercial
alliances due to the perception (and reality) of risk involved by both
parties. Through Sister City
relationships, friendships which may initially be facilitated by government
can be developed across wide sectors of our communities and become the start
of positive commercial activities lasting for generations. Flowing-on from the above axiom that “friends do
business with friends” is the concept that friends don’t go to war with their
friends (or countries where they have strong economic and commercial
interests). Friends may argue and
disagree, but with dialog across all sectors of both countries - on a
person-to-person basis - a deeper understanding of our common interests and
humanity can be developed, and international tensions can be reduced
significantly. Australia and New South Wales have tremendous
strengths which are in direct demand in China as WTO modernisation takes
place. We have a strong historic
trade relationship which can only grow stronger over time with the focused
efforts of government, education and business to do so. Through Sister City relationships, not only do we
have the benefits of economic growth and prosperity, but by establishing
friendships across our communities on a person-to-person basis, we help
improve the prospects for world peace for generations to come. The Australia China Alliance P/L (www.australia-china.biz) is an active
member of the Australia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry - NSW (ACCCI)
and has long supported the establishment of stronger commercial and social
ties between China and Australia. To our Chinese clients, we assist them through
making introductions to Australian government, education and business;
organising and delivering training and educational study programs in
Australia and China; facilitating trade, investment and technology transfer;
establishing and maintaining Sister City relationships with appropriate
Australian communities; and providing confidential consultation on a variety
of personal and commercial issues. For our Australian clients, we
offer similar programs: introductions, communications, protocol, trade
facilitation, targeted marketing, program development and implementation,
Sister City relationship management, confidential business services, etc. With professional, experienced
assistance and a dedication to achieving results, Australia China Alliance
P/L and ACCCI can assist your council develop and reap the many benefits
Sister City relationships have to offer. Contact information: Judd L.
Webber webber@iprimus.com.au
AUSTRALIA CHINA ALLIANCE Pty Ltd |
