Andrea Myles, senior trade and investment commissioner at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Australian deputy consul-general in Guangzhou, delivers a speech at the Third China (Shenzhen) Angel Investment Summit at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on June 6, 2023. Photos courtesy of Austrade
Andrea Myles (3rd R) visits the Australian booth at the 2023 China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen.
Andrea Myles, senior trade and investment commissioner at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Australian deputy consul-general in Guangzhou, was optimistic about enhanced business collaborations between Australia and China in 2024. She also highlighted the potential for further cooperation with Shenzhen.
Economic complementarity
China remains Australia's largest trade partner and the biggest market for Australian exports, with bilateral trade in 2022 accounting for 28% of Australia's total foreign trade. According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, bilateral trade in 2023 amounted to 1.61 trillion yuan (US$224 billion), a year-on-year increase of 9.8%. Additionally, China's imports from Australia surged 15.3% during the same period of 2022.
"The economic ties between Australia and China are underpinned by strong economic complementarity and there is great potential for deepening bilateral cooperation," Myles told Shenzhen Daily during a recent interview.
According to Myles, trade between Australia and China covers a wide range of fields from tech to agricultural products. She emphasized that science and technology cooperation between China and Australia is important, particularly in the fields of health, infrastructure, energy, and information technology.
Cooperation on low-emission tech
Austrade's China office, a government agency responsible for connecting Australian and Chinese businesses, is committed to boosting trade and investment between the two countries. To fulfill its role, Austrade has organized and participated in various events across a wide range of sectors in China.
Austrade encourages Australian companies to participate in events like the China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen.
Australian companies focused on presenting new technologies related to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency during the 2023 China Hi-Tech Fair, which aligned with Australia's commitment to achieve net zero emissions.
"Australia takes the lead across many low-emission technologies — from micro grids to electric vehicle batteries," Myles said, adding that she was excited to see that Shenzhen has a prominent presence in the global net zero economy. Myles also believes that there is potential for collaboration between Australia and Shenzhen in the area of net-zero emissions.
Exhibition planned
Looking ahead, Austrade will continue to increase Australia's presence in Shenzhen. Austrade plans to collaborate with other Australian government departments to hold an exhibition called "Shine in Shenzhen" in August to promote Australia and enhance business collaboration.
"The program will be a good opportunity for business matching, enabling Australian firms and Shenzhen enterprises to have an opportunity to sit down face to face and tap more opportunities," Myles said.
Myles has facilitated successful partnerships from Australian design companies — Urban Art Projects and Woods Bagot — in Shenzhen's public art and architecture sectors, respectively.
"Both companies are finding really strong momentum and a great deal of success in Shenzhen," Myles said.
Shenzhen is vibrant and innovative, according to Myles. "Shenzhen has a relatively complete market mechanism and a high degree of monetization. The innovative policy and regulatory system in Shenzhen contribute to fair competition, market access, and IP protection," she added.