【澳中友协2022全国大会】500多名澳中各界来宾盛装出席、欢聚一堂，共庆澳中建交50周年

澳中友协2022全国大会 -- 庆祝澳中建交50周年大型系列活动于2022年6月10日至12日在西澳珀斯举办。

本次活动由西澳澳中友协主办，在三天的时间里，通过纪念讲座、全国大会、文娱晚宴等活动，庆祝澳大利亚与中华人民共和国正式建交50周年，促进澳中关系的重要讨论。大会期间，中国驻澳大利亚联邦大使馆肖千大使、西澳州州长麦高文先生、澳中友好协会主席马修斯（Robin Matthews)女士和西澳澳中友好协会会长Simon Wu先生等贵宾，以及来自西澳、东海岸的众多各界人士出席。

庆祝澳中建交50周年晚宴

6月11日（星期六）晚上，澳中友协庆祝澳大利亚与中华人民共和国建交50周年晚宴在珀斯会展中心盛大举办。500多名澳中各界来宾盛装出席、欢聚一堂，共庆澳中建交50周年。

在原住民艺术家的欢迎歌舞下，西澳澳中友好协会会长Simon Wu先生登台致辞。

驻澳大使肖千先生通过视频致辞。

西澳大利亚矿业和石油、能源、工业关系部部长比尔约翰斯顿（ Hon. Bill Johnston MLA ）代表州长致辞。

Shane Love代表西澳反对党领袖Hon. Mia Jane Davies MLA致辞。

中华会馆陈挺会长致辞。

西澳澳中友协前任会长、西澳澳中友协中文图书馆创始人之一Nancy Chen女士致辞，并感谢人们对澳中友协和西澳澳中友协图书馆的支持。

西澳备受喜爱的著名艺术家们受邀为现场来宾带来了精彩的表演。歌唱家周永军先生、张晓佳女士、张军先生、Brigitte Heuser女士一展歌喉，赢得掌声阵阵。

晚宴在欢歌笑语中圆满结束。

关于 澳中友好协会

澳中友好协会(ACFS)成立于1951年，当中华人民共和国仍处于成长期间。ACFS 是世界上首个承认“新中国”的组织。ACFS在促进澳大利亚对中国的兴趣，保持澳大利亚人民和中国人民的友好关系与促进澳大利亚在1972年在外交上承认中国扮演到了关键的角色。自从20世纪50年代后，ACFS赞助了工业、商业、文化以及妇女代表团到中国，并且促成了不少教育方面的交换与交流。推动澳大利亚与中国人民之间的关系能够巩固两国之间的互惠互利。ACFS在促进友谊中有着悠久的历史，并为两国之间的和谐关系做出了积极的贡献。

西澳澳中友好协会会长Simon Wu演讲稿全文：

全国大会致辞：

Honorable Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia,

His Excellency Mr Xiao Qian, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Australia,

Ms Robin Matthews, National President of Australia China Friendship Society

Fellow representatives from our Eastern States branches of ASFC

Friends 

Welcome you all to today’s events.

On behalf of the members of Western Australian Branch of Australia China Friendship Society, I would like to extend to you all a very warm welcome, particularly to those who have travelled all the way from Eastern States.

A special welcome to Ambassador Xiao as this is your first visit to Western Australia, the state that has had so much happening in so many areas with China in recent decades.

We in the West feel very proud of being able to host this year’s national conference at the time when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between our two countries.

Australia and China had a long history of engagement.  On 24 October 2003 when the then Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered his speech at the Federal Parliament, he said I quote “Back in the 1420s, the expeditionary fleets of China's Ming Dynasty reached Australian shores. For centuries, the Chinese sailed across vast seas and settled down in what they called Southern Land, or today's Australia.”

In the last 50 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship in 1972, the bilateral relationship has gone a long way with now every state in Australia has their corresponding province in China as their sister province and many more Australian cities have their sister cities in China.  People to people contacts have increased significantly as before the COVID, China was by far our largest source of international tourists and students and well over a million Australians have Chinese heritage.  The past 50 years have certainly proved that our two countries are highly complementary in economies and we have much in common among our two peoples.

51 years ago when Labor Leader Gough Whitlam in opposition went to meet Premier Zhou En’lai in Beijing just before Kissinger’s secret visit to China, he made the historical commitment for all Australians which he delivered immediately after his election win a year later.  It was a historical juncture for Australia then and today we are at the new historical juncture and we hope the newly elected Labor Government would lead Australia again in furthering our bilateral relationship with China, the country which is so important to our future and to the world.  I look forward to various speeches throughout today’s conference and would like to thank all the speakers in advance.

Thank you all.

庆祝晚宴致辞:

Dear Hon. Bill Johnston MLA, Minister for Mines and petroleum, Energy; Corrective Services,representing the WA Premier Mark McGowen,Hon.Mia Jane Davies MLA, Leader of the Opposition.

Ms Robin Matthews, National President of Australia China Friendship Society.

Fellow representatives from our Eastern States branches of ASFC

Friends

We have had a great conference today and may I take this opportunity to thank all the speakers for your contribution and thoughts on the bilateral relationship.

It is very appropriate for our WA branch to host this year’s event and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral relationship.  WA is by far the most important state in our bilateral relationship particularly when our economic partnership is taken into consideration.  

The significant milestones in our bilateral economic relationship have been associated with Western Australia.  For instance, when we celebrated 15th anniversary, a historical joint venture Channar Iron Ore joint venture was signed in Perth and so did our sister state relationship with Zhejiang Province.  Just a few days ago, Western Australia and Zhejiang celebrated the 35th anniversary of the sister state relationship with our Premier McGowan and Zhejiang Governor Wang Hao signing a new agreement to renew the relationship.  When we celebrated 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship, North West Shelf LNG project won the historical bid worth $25 billion to supply LNG to China’s very first LNG receiving terminal in my home town of Shenzhen of Guangdong Province.  In his letter to Chinese leader in 2002, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam said the LNG deal was the best birthday gift the Chinese people could give to the Australian people.  

Friendship between our two countries have endured challenges over time.  By working together among our two peoples we will always come through the challenges successfully.  The great example is our joint efforts in fighting the COVID.  When it caught China by surprise in January 2020, many businesses in WA came out to help China, particularly Wuhan, including sending much sought after PPEs to China and contributing to fast tracking temporary hospital in Wuhan.  When the virus hit us hard from late March 2020 and we were in short supply of PPEs, with the help of Chinese government and our friends there, we had PPEs airfreighted to us through China Eastern Airlines’ special weekly cargo flights directly from Shanghai to Perth for eight weeks from 1 April 2020.  In addition, BGI in Shenzhen provided testing facilities to be quickly set up in all the capital cities in Australia.  To date both China and Western Australia have done well throughout the pandemic. 

Friendship has enhanced our mutual understanding and trust and our economic complementarity has resulted in prosperity of our two peoples.  50 years ago China’s per capita GDP was US$131, one thirtieth that of Australia of US$4,000 then whereas today it is US$9,000, one sixth of that of Australia.  Given the complementarity of our two economies, the potential in economic cooperation is still huge with already extensive bases.  At the time of celebrating our 50 years of achievements, let us look forward to working even more closely with our counterparts in China and jointly aiming at achieving even greater success for our two peoples.  With that now may I propose a toast:

For the next 50 years of win-win bilateral relationship!

Thank you all