SYDNEY, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Australian businesses expressed their readiness to explore supply chain cooperation opportunities at the upcoming fourth China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), as Australia is taking on the role of the guest country of honor.
Representatives from Australian enterprises, organizations, and industry bodies gathered at a CISCE roadshow held in Sydney on Thursday, a day after both the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) revealed that the Australian government has accepted the invitation to serve as the guest country of honor at the fourth CISCE.
Hosted by CCPIT, the CISCE is the world's first national-level expo dedicated to supply chains.
Although Australian businesses have participated in previous editions of the expo, this will be the first time for Australia to participate as a national-level guest of honor, according to CCPIT and Austrade.
The fourth CISCE will take place in Beijing from July 22 to 26, with all preparatory work proceeding as planned.
"The relationship with China is something to be proud of because there's so much benefit that has come out of the relationship. So we are very much supportive of this kind of event that highlights the opportunity for strengthening the supply chain, especially now when things are very uncertain. So what we need is a trusted partner, which we feel that China is able to provide," Arnold Jorge, chief executive officer of the Export Council of Australia, told Xinhua.
"The Australia-China supply chain is strong. Our job now is to keep it strong by communicating openly, by enhancing trust and looking for practical opportunities to work together. If we do that, we won't just manage global uncertainty, we will turn it into a shared opportunity," he said.
James Huey, managing director of China Westbridge Advisory Services, attended the previous CISCE and is set to return for the upcoming edition. He believes the expo is "a must" for Australian businesses to attend because it offers a lot of opportunities to do business with Chinese companies.
"They will be introduced to new products and new technologies, some of which are quite mind boggling and they've probably never heard of before," he said, suggesting that Australian companies planning to attend the "immense" expo should set aside at least two days -- using the first day to get a full sense of the scale and offerings without diving into deep discussions, and returning on the second day for more focused, in-depth conversations with businesses of interest.
He added that last year's expo introduced him to new Chinese businesses, and he also helped some in the new energy space engage with Australian firms. Looking ahead, he hopes to build on those relationships at this year's event and deliver win-win solutions for both sides.
Led by the Smart Energy Council, the Australian delegation will showcase the country's strengths in the smart and clean energy sectors, along with innovative technologies and sustainable solutions in areas such as smart agriculture, healthcare, and services, said Austrade in a statement released on Wednesday.
"We look forward to bringing our members to talk to Chinese colleagues and also engaging with our Chinese friends," said David McElrea, chief advocacy officer of Smart Energy Council, in a speech at the roadshow.
"There is a strong demand in Australia for renewable energy and for the materials that we get from China. And that's why it's so important for Australian businesses, particularly in the clean energy sector, to participate in a roadshow like this one," he said.
Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes, head of the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), is also a returnee to the CISCE.
"The expo to me was inspirational," he told Xinhua, "For us, it's an opportunity to show our work, but also understand better how our work fits in a practical sense, in terms of developing new technologies and helping other countries adopt those technologies."
Having seen the value of last year's expo, he now comes with a clear agenda -- "to make the new connections for the future that we need to help take the technology that's manufactured in China forward and deploy it globally."
"The CISCE connects upstream and downstream enterprises, integrates large corporation and SMEs, promotes the collaboration of industrial industry, academic and research, and facilitates international interactions," said Ma Lei, chief representative of CCPIT Representative Office in Australia, "It is perfectly aligned with China-Australia cooperation priorities such as green energy, smart manufacturing, agricultural products and the digital economy, creating vast opportunities for businesses from both countries." ■
