On 4 February, upon invitation from Mme Fu Ying, the Ambassador of Chinese Embassy to Australia, scholars including Professor Ross Garnaut from Australian National University, the former Australian Ambassador to China have given seminar in the Chinese Embassy on issues in relation to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between China and Australia. Some diplomats from the Embassy have attended the seminar and actively took part in the in-depth discussion with the speakers.

In the view of Prof. Garnaut, the relationship between China and Australia has developed rapidly over the past few years and both nations have the aspirations to further promote the bilateral relationship through deepening economic cooperation. At present, from a global perspective, the process of multi-lateral trade negotiation has met with obstruction. Many countries therefore turn to the arrangements in the forms of bilateral or regional trade agreement to seek greater trading opportunities. While Australia and China are vigorously constructing external free trade relationships, both nations have also seen the increased necessity and imperative of mutually signing a Free Trade Agreement. He suggested that while China and Australia are negotiating their FTA, both should endeavor to build up a brand-new open-ended bilateral arrangement. It will not only benefit the peoples in both nations but also contribute to the development and improvement of global multi-lateral trade system. At the seminar, Prof. Garnaut along with other scholars has also offered advice on some concrete issues that are likely to crop up in the process of Sino-Australia FTA negotiation.

On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, Mme Fu extended thanks to Prof. Garnaut and his colleagues for their excellent presentations. She pointed out that the Sino-Australia FTA would deal with a wide range of complex issues. These issues have drawn extensive attentions in both countries and deserve further research and exploration. Chinese and Australian economies are highly complementary. From a long-term perspective, the advantage of reaching a Sino-Australia FTA outweighs the disadvantages and it is completely possible for both nations to realize a win-win outcome to mutual benefits.