'Go home' atmosphere looming among Chinese businesspeople

MELBOURNE - Many Chinese compare marriage to a besieged city where singles want to enter and the married want to go out.

Now Melbourne becomes such a city to many Chinese businesspeople who have lived in for years. They are planning to say good-bye to this place though they still believe it is "one of the most desirable cities for living in the world," and go back to their homeland.

The reason is simple - business opportunities are decreasing here in Australia and increasing in China.

Tang yi, business development manager of the Australia China Business Council, recently quit her job and is about to go back to China.

"There are more possibilities which means more opportunities in China, its economic development these years is impressive and the scale of economy is massive over there," she said at a business dinner in Melbourne.

"Melbourne is great. I've lived and worked here for many years but it's just too comfortable and relaxing here," said a smiling Tang.

Like the businesswoman, a growing number of Chinese doing business in the city who don't want to lose their edges are willing to face the challenges of an unknown future in a more competitive environment have made up their mind.

For many of them, the end of the China-driven mining boom has left Australia a sluggish economy, and it's time to head back home.

Data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this month show the country's economy has continued to expand at a below-trend pace in the third quarter of this year, with the annual growth rate at 2.3 percent.

The Australian dollar, which was trading at 91.36 US cents before the data were released, now fell to its years-low of 88.4 US cents on December 20.

Meanwhile, the potential opportunities in China where the government is pushing forward an overall reform become increasingly attractive to Chinese businesspeople in Australia.

"Melbourne is good for living, but business has to be done in China," said Zhou Jing, a real estate developer who moved part of the family business to Melbourne years ago.

"Things are happening in China and the changes taking place there are dramatic. I tend to invest my future in greater possibilities," Zhou said, adding, "Everyone is now talking about the Chinese dream, I believe I would eventually find my dream over there (in China)."