2018年CRI Australian businesses eye China's first import expo

 

China's first global import expo, to be held later this year, is expected to offer unprecedented¹ opportunities for Australian businesses to tap the Chinese market.

A series of business forums³ have been held recently in major Australian cities to promote the China International Import Expo, scheduled in November in Shanghai.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, and many participants believe the expo will further boost China-Australia trade, which is worth more than 130 billion US dollars a year.

A forum² has just concluded in Brisbane, organized by the China Chamber⁴ of Commerce in Australia and the Australia China Business Council. 

Australian businesses have learned that more than 100 countries are expected to take part in the Shanghai expo, which is set to give them access to business networks boasting 150,000 domestic and foreign purchasers.

They will also have access to the lucrative⁵ Chinese consumer goods retail⁶ sales market, which has consistently risen over 470 billion US dollars year-on-year.

Steven Abbott, President of the Queensland branch of the Australia China Business Council, says the expo provides a great opportunity for Australian goods and services, and it will be a catalyst⁷ to boost two-way trade.

"I think the expo provides Australian companies with a wonderful opportunity to showcase their wares⁸ on the world stage. I think the opportunities in agriculture, tourism, education, mining, mining services are just abundant within this country and having a partner like China involved is a great opportunity," says Abbott.

It is a first for China to organize an expo on imports.

The event is also appealing to small businesses, like a local honey producer in Queensland called HoneyEx.

"(Entering the Chinese market) can be difficult, but it's a big country, there are a lot of people and they need products from outside. This is one of the first import initiatives that I've ever seen. There are some big food shows like SIAL, Anuga or Gulfood, but that's in Europe and the Middle East, but this is something in the Asian region, which is fantastic," says HoneyEx’s Company director Roger Masters, who is keen to bring their products to the booming Chinese middle class.

Over the past year, China-Australia ties have been strained by domestic politics in Australia, including the legislation aimed at preventing so-called foreign interference in politics.

Michael Choi, member of the Queensland parliament, says only stable political ties will ensure the two sides reap more benefits from their close economic and trade links.

"Our political leaders in Australia need to understand how important China is. One in every 58 workplaces in Australia are exporting to China, so the relationship with China is very, very important for our economic future. I understand that there will always be differences, we have two difference forms of government, and we understand that, but I think we have a lot more in common. We need to be very careful to focus on what we have in common rather than our differences," says Choi.

Australian Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo is set to lead the Australian delegation⁹ to the expo. So far more than 90 major Australian companies, including health supplements giant Blackmores, have registered to take part in the Shanghai event.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

6 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

7 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

8 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。