South Australia state aims to strengthen ties with Beijing

South Australia says it is riding high on optimism that the Year of the Horse will bring even closer economic ties with China.

Speaking at a Thursday event marking the Chinese New Year, South Australia's Premier Peter Malinauskas highlighted that the value of the state's exports to China has reached A$13.3 billion ($9.43 billion) since 2022.

Goods include wine, seafood, red meat, grains and copper, Malinauskas told public and private sector representatives at the event in the state capital Adelaide, hosted by the South Australian government and the Chinese consulate general in Adelaide.

"We currently enjoy the fastest wage growth in the nation and in no small part that is underpinned by this relationship … a stable, principled relationship based on common interests between South Australia and China," Malinauskas said.

He said that the Year of the Horse encompasses "taking things to action".

"We have an opportunity to do that in the year ahead and we do that on the basis of trust, good faith and optimism that we share about this relationship," Malinauskas said.

Li Dong, Chinese consul-general in Adelaide, said that "in the current international environment, we increasingly appreciate the value of mutual respect, understanding and trust".

"We hope that China and South Australia will further consolidate collaboration in traditional fields such as trade, agriculture and education, while fostering new opportunities in new fields and unleashing our full potential," he said.

"At the same time, we need to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges. We can take full advantage of direct flights between Adelaide and Chinese megacities."

South Australia's Trade and Investment Minister Joe Szakacs told China Daily that China's focus on high-quality development will also offer opportunities for cooperation and partnership in new fields such as green energy and innovation.

"Our journey of decarbonization is critically important," he said.

"China is not only leading the world's innovation in respect to green technology but they are looking to partner with like-minded jurisdictions … South Australia will be net 100 percent of our energy from renewable sources by next year, that is a really strong point for us," Szakacs said.

Andrew Ferguson, managing director of premium seafood supplier Ferguson Australia, a major exporter of South Australia's rock lobsters, told China Daily the company is leveraging its strong relationship with the Chinese market built over the years.

South Australia's seafood industry continued to expand its presence in China following the removal of restrictions on its Southern Rock Lobster products, according to the Department of State Development.

In the year to February 2025, seafood exports to China grew by almost 500 percent to A$63.3 million, led by A$47.1 million of Southern Rock Lobster exports just two full months since trade barriers were removed, it said.

"There's a big opportunity not only with live lobster, there's also other products that we are developing," Ferguson said.

"We've got gift boxes and I'm excited by that opportunity to expand them across China. There are the online sales, that's something that wasn't there in China five or six years ago," he said.

xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn