Economics

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ blog, Australian Outlook, on July 4 2019.

While Australia's economic relationship with China has rapidly grown, so too have fears that this exposure presents Australia with excessive risk. This factsheet draws on data from an Australia-China Relations Institute report, 'Small grey rhinos: understanding Australia's economic dependence on China', which discusses the market forces driving the Australia-China economic relationship as well as the three main attendant risks.

Australia is the world’s largest coal and LNG exporter and China is Australia’s largest trading partner. What happens in China’s energy sector will have profound impact on Australia’s exports and economy.

In December 2017, China launched a three-year plan to host the world’s largest emissions trading scheme (ETS). China’s ETS highlights the nation’s urgency for energy transition and climate change. Coal accounts for approximately 60 percent of China’s primary energy supply and natural gas accounts for only eight percent of that.

Executive Summary

Australia lives with an acute ‘fear of abandonment’.

In security terms this fear has underpinned Australian foreign policy settings for decades. Recently, doubts about the reliability of the United States as Australia’s security guarantor have sent Australian government ministers on a mission to convince America that ongoing – and expanded – engagement with Australia’s neighbourhood is in its own interests.

By Xunpeng Shi

Note: This article appeared in East Asia Forum on May 11 2019.

By James Laurenceson and Elena Collinson

Note: This text formed the basis for remarks delivered by James Laurenceson at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, April 25 2019.

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in the South China Morning Post on April 11 2018.

1. In November 2018 Australia overtook Qatar to become the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), loading 6.5 Mt of LNG compared with 6.2 Mt for Qatar. [1] 

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) hosted a panel discussion on ‘Fintech payments innovation in China and Australia – divergence or convergence?’, centred around a forthcoming report for ACRI by Dr Luke Deer from the University of Sydney Business School.

Investment from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Australian residential real estate market overall largely aligns with Australia’s foreign investment policy objectives. PRC investment in the residential real estate market has declined since 2016-17. The evidence available does not suggest systemic wilful non-compliance with residential real estate rules overseen by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).