Chinese Tourism to Australia
December
China: an economy that’s still on track
December
China stock market opened 2016 with a seven percent collapse. But the story of the real economy hasn’t changed.
1. On the demand side of China’s economy, fixed asset investment continues to slow but consumption remains robust.
- Retail sales grew at 10.6 percent (year-to-date) in November. [1]
- On-line sales grew 34.5 percent (ytd) in November. [2]
Aged Care in China
December
South China Sea: What the Others are Doing
December
On October 27 a United States navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Lassen, sailed within a 12 nautical mile zone of a Chinese-built formation in the Spratly Islands. The US is reportedly calling on allies to join such freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS). This survey shows that if Australia responded it would probably be alone.
Japan
Chinese language competency in Australia
December
1. The Australia in the Asian Century White Paper recognizes the need for an increased linguistic capacity within the Australian population: “Relying on the language capabilities of Asian-Australians for all of Australia’s relationships and engagement will not be adequate. Proficiency in more than one language is a basic skill of the 21st century”.[1]
2. In 2015 3,694,101 students attend school in Australia.[2] Of those:
South China Sea: What's New
December
The joint statement from AUSMIN 2015 commits Australia and the US “to pursue enhanced naval cooperation across all domains, including additional combined training and exercises…”[1]
This language is identical with the language of joint statements from AUSMINs each year from 2011.
The China factor in Australian and global equity markets
December
1. At the end of 2014 China’s holdings of equity securities abroad stood at $US161.3 billion.[1] This was up from zero in 2004 but compares with $US6.7 trillion for the US.[2]
2. China’s holdings of equity securities abroad are equal to 1.6 percent of its GDP.[3] This compares with 38.6 percent for the US.
China and Australia’s agricultural sector
December
1. Australia’s agricultural exports to China reached $8.5 billion in 2014-15.[1] This compared with:
- $5.1 billion to the US
- $3.9 billion to Japan
- $3.3 billion to Indonesia
2. A Chinese government-owned company wanting to invest in Australia’s agricultural sector must obtain Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval, irrespective of the value of the proposed purchase.[2]
The China FTA: all the facts and figures
December
1. Critics have called for mandatory labour market testing (LMT) with respect to the China FTA.
Malcolm Turnbull and China
December
On October 5 2011 in a speech to the London School of Economics, Malcolm Turnbull said: “It makes no sense for America, or its allies, to base long-term strategic policy on the contentious proposition that we are on an inevitable collision course with a militarily aggressive China … it is important to note that China’s growth in power, both economic and military, has not been matched by any expansionist tendencies beyond reuniting Taiwan … China has more to lose than most from any conflict that disrupts global economic flows”.[