On 19th September, Consul-General HE Lanjing was invited to attend a working luncheon between the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia Adelaide Branch (CCCA Adelaide) and Mr. Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia, with more than 20 guests including Ms. Leonie Muldoon, Chief Executive of the Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment (SA) and representatives from Chinese enterprises in South Australia.

Premier Marshall said China is an important cooperative partner of South Australia. At present, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in the exchanges and cooperation in various fields like economy, trade, tourism, education and culture. Chinese enterprises in South Australia have made positive contributions to the State’s economic development. He appreciated the important role the Chinese Consulate-General has played in promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. He said the State Government has given high priority to extending its ties with China. He chose China for his first overseas visit after coming into office, and intends to visit China every year in the future. Next month, he will be leading a delegation to Shanghai, Beijing and Shandong and looks forward to positive outcomes of the visit. South Australia is committed to sustained economic growth and will increase infrastructure construction, lower the land tax rates, optimise the investment environment and attract more investors, including Chinese investors, to South Australia.

Consul-General HE expressed her appreciation to the South Australian Government and Premier Marshall for giving positive attention to developing relations with China and their commitment to promoting pragmatic cooperation between the two sides. She said the number of Chinese enterprises coming to invest and operate in South Australia has continued to grow, covering various fields that expand from traditional mining and wine industries to new energy and waste disposal. These enterprises have played an important bridging role in boosting cooperation between the two sides. It is hoped that the State Government would continue to create a fair and sound environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and develop, and solve their problems when doing business here. The Consulate-General is willing to work with the State Government and all circles to push this mutually beneficial cooperation to a new high.

President of the CCCA Adelaide Branch, Mr. Gao Fusheng, briefed on the overall situation and major work of the Chamber, while the representatives of Chinese enterprises introduced their investment and operation here, how they had served local community, and communicated with Premier Marshall about the difficulties and problems they had met.