Enhance Mutual Trust and Properly Handle Differences for Further Development of China-Australia Relations——Remarks by Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian at the New Year[...]

Dear Friends from Media ,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. Welcome to the New Year Media Briefing and Gathering. As the new year begins, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Australia, I would like to extend New Year greetings to you all. Just two days ago, Australia celebrated its National Day. President Xi Jinping sent his message of congratulations to Her Excellency Governor-General Sam Mostyn. I'd like to express my warm congratulations and my best wishes.

Over the past year, you have closely followed and extensively reported China. Some of you visited and reported China on the ground, experiencing first-hand vibrant development of China, and witnessing the historic moments in China-Australia relations. Your work has provided an important window helping the Australian people with their better understanding of China. I would like to avail this opportunity to express my gratitude. 2025 has just passed, and I'd like to take stock of the progress in our bilateral relations over the past year. In 2025, amid growing turbulence and transformation in the international landscape, China-Australia relations withstood challenges and, following a period of stabilization, improvement, and a full turnaround, achieved positive momentum of steady progress. The China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has entered its second decade, demonstrating even greater resilience.

Over the past year, we witnessed ever-deepening political mutual trust under the guidance of the leaders of both countries. Our bilateral relations achieved a smooth transition following the Australian federal election. In July, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China and held meetings with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji. Leaders of the two countries reached a strategic consensus on further deepening bilateral relations. In October, Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Albanese met on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation.  In November, Chairman Zhao Leji visited Australia, marking the first visit to Australia by China's NPC Chair in the recent two decades, opening a new chapter of exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, dialogue and exchange mechanisms at different levels and in different areas, including the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change, and High-Level Dialogue, advanced in an orderly manner. Foreign ministers of the two countries met on multiple multilateral occasions, and leaders from local governments including the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Western Australia successively visited China, laying a solid foundation for the all-around development of China-Australia relations. 

Over the past year, we witnessed higher quality and efficiency of the win-win economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The year 2025 marked the 10th anniversary of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, one of the highest-level trade and investment liberalization agreements China has signed. Its implementation has propelled mutually beneficial cooperation and delivered tangible benefits to both peoples. The two sides are currently conducting an assessment and review of the FTA and exploring its potential upgrade, to further elevate bilateral economic and trade cooperation to new heights. Against the backdrop of sluggish global trade growth last year, bilateral trade between the two countries once again exceeded 300 billion AUD, maintaining overall stability and injecting strong confidence into global trade. For 16 consecutive years, China has remained Australia's largest trading partner, largest export destination, and largest source of imports. Chinese products such as new energy vehicles and electronic devices are increasingly favoured by Australian consumers, while high-quality Australian agricultural products, mineral resources, healthcare goods, and more are widely available in the Chinese market, which not only meets the demand of Chinese consumers for a better life but also supports Australia's economic growth and employment. Since the inaugural China International Import Expo in 2018, Australian companies have participated every year, reaching a record high of 256 in 2025.

Over the past year, we witnessed growing amity between our peoples through colourful people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China has extended its unilateral visa exemption policy for Australian passport holders, while direct passenger flights between the two countries have been restored and expanded, making travel more convenient. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is Australia's third-largest source of tourists. In November 2025 alone, 74,500 Chinese tourists visited Australia, about one-third more than in the same period the previous year. Tourism Australia signed strategic cooperation agreements with a Chinese enterprise, and its campaign slogan "Come and Say G'day" resonated deeply with Chinese travelers. China has become Australia's fourth-largest tourist destination, with 61,800 Australian tourists returning from China in November 2025, a year-on-year increase of over one-fifth. Many Australians experienced the unique charm of China-from taking a light-rail ride through a residential building in Chongqing, enjoying the enchanting winter scenery in Harbin, ascending the majestic Great Wall, to watching giant pandas in Chengdu. Cultural and sports exchanges flourished as well, with new highlights emerging constantly. Pop Mart's designer toys have gained immense popularity in Australia. The film Ne Zha 2 performed strongly at the Australian box office. Chinese women's basketball star Han Xu joined the Perth Lynx. The renowned Australian footballer Kevin Muscat led Shanghai Port Football Club to a third consecutive Chinese Super League title. These vivid examples fully demonstrate that the development of China-Australia relations aligns with the shared aspirations of both peoples.

Over the past year, we have witnessed history evolving with the strategic interests of China and Australia increasingly entwined. The year 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and of the founding of the United Nations. As major countries in the Asia-Pacific region, both China and Australia are builders, beneficiaries, and defenders of the post-war international order. Amid a complex and ever-changing international landscape, the strategic interests of our two nations are more tightly entwined. We share common interests in multiple areas including maintaining regional and global peace and stability, upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, advancing economic globalization and trade liberalization, and responding to climate change. Both countries commemorated the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War respectively, reflecting on history and honouring the sacrifices of heroes, thereby sending a positive signal to global peace and stability. China and Australia have also enhanced cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20, and APEC, maintained communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, and increasingly supported and coordinated with each other in multilateral affairs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

The developments in China-Australia relations over the past few years have demonstrated that how we perceive each other and manage our differences fundamentally shapes the trajectory of our bilateral ties. China's position on this has been consistent: China and Australia are friends, not adversaries, and partners, not rivals. While differences may inevitably arise due to our distinct social systems, histories, and cultures, the key lies in properly handling differences and ensuring that they do not define our relations.

Dealing with Taiwan-related issues properly is of particular importance for the healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations. The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, as it bears on the integrity of China's sovereignty and territory, and the strong aspiration of all Chinese people for reunification. There is no room for compromise or concession on the Taiwan question. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Australian side to respect each other's concerns, prudently manage differences, resist external disruptions, and promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of bilateral relations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

The year 2025 marked the conclusion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan and held significant importance in advancing Chinese modernization. Over the past year, the Chinese economy has continued to move forward under pressure. China's GDP surpassed 140 trillion yuan for the first time, achieving a year-on-year growth of 5 percent. The annual trade surplus reached a record 1.189 trillion USD, while foreign exchange reserves exceeded 3.3 trillion USD. The real per capita disposable income of residents grew by 5 percent, keeping pace with economic growth, and China broke into the global top ten in the Global Innovation Index ranking for the first time. China's economic growth remains among the highest of the world's major economies, with its contribution to global growth expected to reach around 30 percent. China stands as the most stable and reliable engine for global economic growth. These achievements were made against the backdrop of significant disruptions to the world's economic and trade order and increasing internal and external challenges facing China's development, fully demonstrating the adaptability and resilience of the Chinese economy.

The recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee not long ago have drawn a blueprint for China's economic and social development in the next five years. The recommendations demonstrate that external attempts to contain or suppress China cannot halt its steadfast progress. China will continue to apply the people-centred development philosophy, advance high-quality development, foster new quality productive forces, expand high-standard opening-up, and remain a stabilizer and propeller for global economic growth. Over the next five years, China will consolidate and enhance its modern industrial system while fostering new growth drivers such as quantum technology and biomanufacturing.

To embrace China is to embrace the future; to turn away from China is to turn away from opportunities. With their development philosophies dovetailing, China and Australia possess tremendous potential for cooperation. Looking ahead, China's 15th Five-Year Plan will undoubtedly create more opportunities for Australia. China is willing to strengthen strategic alignment with Australia, support Australia's productivity enhancement through high-quality development, deepen cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, the digital economy, and healthcare, and actively explore future industries like artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and life sciences, helping Australia realize its vision of "Future Made in Australia."

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

The past year has witnessed extraordinary international developments. Profound changes of a magnitude unseen in a century are accelerating, international relations are undergoing turbulent transformations, unipolar hegemony finds no popular support, deficits in global governance are deepening, economic globalization faces severe setbacks, and international rules and order are confronted with unprecedented challenges. Humanity stands once again at a critical juncture, which prompts people to ask: Where is the world heading? What should we do?

As a major country and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has always taken it as its mission to safeguard world peace and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We remain committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, upholding the banner of multilateralism and free trade, and steadfastly defending the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law. China provides invaluable stability and certainty to a turbulent world. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping are contributing Chinese wisdom to and demonstrating China's sense of responsibility in addressing the challenges facing humanity.

The significance of China-Australia relations extends far beyond the bilateral scope. China has always viewed and developed its relations with Australia from a strategic and long-term perspective, regarding Australia as an important partner both regionally and globally. Looking to the future, we are ready to work with the Australian side, following the guidance of the strategic consensus reached by our leaders, to further enhance political mutual trust, properly handle differences, deepen practical cooperation, and uphold fairness and justice for greater development of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and make greater contributions to peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

In about two weeks, we will usher into the Chinese Year of the Horse. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes perseverance and resilience. In the coming year, may China-Australia relations advance steadily and firmly like a horse galloping a thousand miles, and may the peoples of both countries embody the vigour of the horse and enjoy happiness and well-being.

I will now take your questions.