South Australia-China business ties hailed

Like many businesses in the nation's pillar wine sector, Australian winery Kilikanoon faced many challenges in the recent past due to the pandemic, trade restrictions and other headwinds.

It was the "enduring partnership" with Chinese wine group Changyu that helped Kilikanoon tide through those tough times, according to the winery's former managing director Warrick Duthy.

Duthy, who managed the sale of the winery — which is located in Clare Valley in the state of South Australia — to Changyu in 2018, said its Chinese partners found ways to support the "continuity of the Kilikanoon business and our various employees, contractors and growers associated with the Kilikanoon business".

Companies like Kilikanoon have been able to "survive these challenges and are now looking toward a shared future of growth and opportunity", he said.

The winery's experience was one of the success stories shared at an event highlighting some of the major achievements of two-way trade cooperation between China and South Australia, co-hosted by the Adelaide branch of the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia (CCCA) and the Australia China Business Council's South Australia branch, in the state capital Adelaide on Sept 1.

In a keynote speech at the event, which drew more than 120 participants including Australian officials and business leaders, entrepreneurs and members of the overseas Chinese community, He Jiangchuan, deputy consul-general of the consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Adelaide, emphasized that international trade is an integral part of the global economy, with the Chinese and Australian economies themselves highly complementary.

China's emphasis on high-quality development and innovation aligns with Australia's "Green Economy" and "Future Made in Australia" concepts, creating enormous potential for bilateral trade, He said.

South Australia's exports to its largest trading partner, China, last year grew 33 percent to A$4.39 billion ($2.87 billion) from the 2023 level, according to government figures, with significant increases in food and wine products.

South Australia's Trade and Investment Minister Joe Szakacs said business conditions in the state continue to be very strong, even amid global economic and geopolitical headwinds.

"The relationship between South Australia and China has never been in a better place, has never been stronger and has never been more important to both South Australia's and China's success and prosperity than right here in this moment," he said.

"We know that the relationship South Australia has with China is deep, is profoundly strong and has been decades, if not generations, in the making," Szakacs said.

"Underpinning all the economic opportunity, underpinning all the prospects for growth is the deep friendship and deep understanding we have between our people," he said.

The prospects for China-Australia cooperation are broad and South Australia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in agricultural products, clean energy and other sectors, Szakacs said.

Sean Keenihan, president of the Australia China Business Council's South Australia branch, said Australia-China trade is at a new stage that requires "collaboration to create sustainable value chains shaped by our economic complementarity and shared interest in global issues such as climate change".

South Australia businesses "recognize this and are looking for partnerships with China counterparts and long-term shared value", he said.

"Through co-creation of value chains and sustainable solutions we will unlock new opportunities and reduce vulnerability to trade disruptions," Keenihan said.

That will result in more investment in South Australia "to capture more value here, create additional complexity in economy and more competitive, resilient products for the modern China market", he said.

Wang Shenjun, secretary-general of the CCCA's Adelaide branch, said that since its establishment in 2018, "CCCA Adelaide has grown into a non-profit chamber with 20 member companies, covering a wide range of industries, including energy, mining, trade, transportation, building materials, tourism, and wine".

"We are committed to playing the role of a bridge and a link, supporting members' business growth both in Australia and China," Wang said. "Today we are enjoying an increasingly favorable business environment, thanks to the steady improvement of China-Australia relations and the implementation of supportive bilateral policies."

South Australian entrepreneur Eloisia D'Ambrosio, who owns startup fashion label San Leucio, an e-commerce women's ready-to-wear brand, said that "working with partners in China enables me to produce high quality garments at price point that Australian consumers can afford".

For the past two years, D'Ambrosio has been collaborating with a variety of factories in China, working on samples and refining designs.

D'Ambrosio said she has had the opportunity to visit major cities like Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and Qingdao in Shandong province, for the first time.

"At my partner factory in Qingdao, the staff comprises some of the most skilled tailors in the country. Beyond the workforce, the technology in use is staggering," she said.

"I am confident (that) through the partnerships we have established in China, San Leucio is achieving this while delivering exceptional garments to empower women everywhere."

Contact the reporters at xinxin@chinadaily.con.cn