2016年CRI Australian Minister Expects Future Trade Relationship with China

 

According to Steve Ciobo, the number of delegates involved in Australia Week, is a display of how serious his country is to develop its relationship with China.

A total of 150 business activities will be held during the course of the week, in over 10 different Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Several specific programs will be featured including topics such as agriculture business, financial services, elderly health care, education and tourism.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will also make his first official visit to China during the event, hoping to meet several Chinese leaders during his stay.

Meanwhile, Ciobo also hailed the China-Australia free trade agreement which took effect last December.

He said the agreement enhanced the bilateral¹ economic and trade ties, and has already been beneficial to the Australian agriculture industry.

"CAFTA (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement) is a vital building block in the trade and investment relationship between Australia and China. We continue to see opportunity for Australia to benefit from CAFTA. Inbound investment will continue to drive jobs. It will continue to drive investment growth. Increased exports will continue to drive economic growth and to drive jobs. "

Many experts believed that one of the most immediate² impacts of the FTA has been the incentive³ it's created for Australian businesses, startups and industries, to start thinking about how best to do business with China, its largest trading partner.

Enterprises have been urged to take on a more active role, especially considering the global competition for a share of China's ever demanding growing middle class.

Tim Harcourt, a professor from University of New South Wales, said many sectors⁵ of Australia's economy are seeing benefits since the FTA started taking effect.

"In things like healthcare, Blackmores has already been able to sign some very significant deals because of the growing middle class and emphasis on well-being⁶ and health in China. And in building in these second and third tier cities right around China, the new architecture provisions that allow Australian building and architecture experience have greatly benefited their bidding for contracts."

Blackmores is a major Australian manufacturer and distributor of vitamins, minerals, and nutritional⁷ supplements.

Jim Harrowell, president of the Australia China Business Council of New South Wales, says the agriculture sector⁴ in Australia reaped great rewards from the initial tariff⁸ reductions, as well as increased demand for dairy products and beef.

"Cattle prices are quite high in Australia in the expectation that we are going to increase our exports to China and sheep meat prices are pretty good at the moment too. So we are certainly seeing activity there; we are seeing activity in the wine industry."

Harrowell also urged enterprises to take advantage of the opportunities being presented, with the help of the government as a facilitator and door opener.

Australia Week begins today and will run through until Friday.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

1 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

7 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

8 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。