The Asian Century White Paper tells a story of the shift in the global centre of economic activity to Asia and the rise of China’s new middle-class.

It paints a picture of unprecedented opportunities for Australian manufacturers, farmers, miners and service providers and emphasises the need for businesses to position themselves on the increasingly important regional value chain.

The growing membership AustChams around China is testament to the potential of the opportunity that awaits. We now have around 900 corporate members on the Mainland (with a similar number in Hong Kong). That number reflects strong growth over the last few years and is set to increase significantly as Australian companies position themselves to reap the benefits of China’s economic transformation.

Personal relationships, good information and sound advice are always important when it comes to entering new markets. But the scope and scale of the changes we are witnessing require new, clever and at times bold thinking – and a push by government, business and the broader community to work in a more coordinated, collaborative way.

Collaboration is not new – but it has gained a sense of urgency. It is about reaching across borders, connecting people across a common platform and building new value chains that are capable of leveraging specialist capabilities, resources and talent, to create outcomes that would not otherwise be possible.

Collaboration has driven the development of our successful AustCham Greater China platform.

Our chapters in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong are coordinating their efforts around key activities and initiatives. Work is well advanced in the creation of a West China chapter and we work closely with our colleagues at AustCham South China.

We have partnered with Austrade to send business delegations to the booming second tier cities of China and our soon to be released Business Perception Survey will provide the first-ever wide-spread survey of Australian companies of the business landscape in China.

The last few months have been amongst the most exciting and productive in recent times. Many of these have been written up in our regular newsletters, but let me highlight a few:

 

Our sustained efforts around advocacy and government relations have provided kasyno poland for our members hard-to-obtain access to key government ministries and regulators. Our Collaboration Dinner in November was a highlight with over 70 officials attending a special event to celebrate our deepening bi-lateral relations.

 

We continue to build upon the strategic partnership we have established with China Railways Engineering Company providing opportunities for members to establish closer links and explore business opportunities.

 

On a social level the 2nd Annual Invocare Great Aussie BBQ was wonderful fun day for members and their families. A highlight was the Australian Embassy Cricket team’s victory over the British Embassy’s team in the annual “Ashes” test.

 

Our membership continues to grow and we are delighted to welcome CBS Outdoor and Green Resources Capital as foundation members.

 

*Pictured: Author Jonathan Fenby being interviewed by CCTV journalist Tian Wei at an AustCham policy update.

We are delighted to welcome Ross Bundey as our new General Manager. Ross has a wealth of experience and will lead the Chamber to new heights in what is shaping up to an exciting 2013 and Year of the Snake.

 

I wish all of our members and friends a prosperous year ahead. For the latest AustCham Beijing news and events and to sign up for our free newsletter visit www.austcham.org■