China has become a major global economic power and trading partner for Australia. Australia previously relied on trade with Britain but now China is Australia's largest trading partner, importing many of Australia's natural resources. As China's economy and trade has rapidly grown, it is important for Australia to strengthen economic ties with China to ensure future prosperity through continued export of key resources to China and other Asian countries. Maintaining strong Sino-Australian relations will be integral to Australia's economic success in the 21st century as China shapes international trade.

1. As China has emerged as a global economic power base in the 21st century, Australia’s closer ties to Asia
should result in an economic boom for our nation. Focusing on five key points, Australia and China’s
alliance has grown and will continue to grow strong. Background information, 19th and 20th century
trade with Britain, trade with China, Asia’s power growth and what Australia needs to do to ensure
prosperity along with China, all shape why Australia needs to stay strong alongside China.
1.
China, a place of great wealth, yet a place of great poverty. With over 137 people per square kilometer,
it is no wonder this country has become so strong and so powerful, especially in the world of trade.
China is the second richest country, Australia is 18th. China is the largest trading country in the world
with $3.87 trillion in exports and imports, passing the US. Australia’s imports to China totaled $64.8
billion, to China to Australia’s $41.1 billion in 2010. Australia has the natural resources like iron ore and
steel, that China lacks. These resources make us an important part of China’s trading schemes. Not only
that; China has long been thinking about the future; investing in other countries to assure a continual
flow of resources, such as shares in oil fields, and factories. Did you know that China earnt 262 billion
dollars more than it spent in 2007? This phenomenal amount has put China up in the world, placing
them into the future of trading as a powerbase. All these points prove why it is essential that Australia
continues to follow China into the future, so that our own growth can occur.
2.
Before China, Australia had Europe, and in particular, Britain. During the 19th and 20th centuries,
Australia’s trading was with European countries, and almost none with Asia. Now the UK is the 6th
biggest trading partner with Australia. Our alliance in trading with the mother country dropped when
Britain no longer required the amount of resources that China was buying from Australia, and when our
alliance changed from the UK to the US during world war 2. Britain has over 60 million people to China’s
1.3 billion; making the necessity of buying from countries lower and therefore Britain drops in the
importing of goods and China rises. It has also become cheaper for Australia to trade with China, as
Britain and Australia have almost identical governments and working conditions. Britain-Australian trade
is a representation of what Australia should not want to happen to our relationship with China. Britain
slowly grew away from our trade market and it is important that we do not fall behind in China’s
economic and trade movements.
3.
Australia has become more reliant on China as a buyer of its exports than any other trading partner in
the last 63 years. In March alone, Australia sold $7.4 billion worth of goods and services to China, which
accounts for almost a third of all exports. China has the 2nd largest economy and accounts for over 30%
of Australian exports. Australia now exports minerals, agriculture, fuels, manufactures, gold, and
services to China and in return receives, textiles, and machinery. Therefore as china emerges as an

2. economic power base, Australia must continue to grow in the exports that China needs most, to ensure
that our country has many economic booms.
4.
China is has grown into the biggest power base in the world. China’s growth is greatly due to the
countries change from agriculture to manufacturing. Chinese workers are very low paid, earning just $2
an hour, but they all have high skill levels, making it very easy for the country to produce large quantities
of products like clothing and toys. China has grown as a country more than anywhere else in the world.
In 1978 the total imports and exports were twenty billion, ranking 32nd among all nations. During this
time, China accounted for less than 1% of global trade. In 2010, the total merchandise trade exceeded
three trillion, with an annual growth of 17% in exports and imports. China now accounts for over 10% of
global trade, making it the largest commodity exporter. China has gained more than they have lost in a
very short period of time. Over this time they have grown by billions, surpassing higher counties like
America. All this information proves why it is imperative that Australia follows China as it grows so that
we can also grow.
5.
As Australia grows as a nation of exports, it is important to build strong ties with Asian countries,
especially China. China is growing rapidly and Australia is relying strongly on China to buy the natural
resources that we have. Australia has traded with China more than any other country in the world and
as our natural resources like iron ore grow and the number of exports grow, our relationship with China
has to continue to grow, or we risk falling behind in world trade. It is very likely that China will shape our
economic future and our prosperity more than any other country. China’s main interests for the future
are to promote its sovereignty, security and economic development. Australia must ensure that we are a
part of this growth and that we provide China with the resources needed for them to grow in these
three areas. Australia has a mature mining market while China’s mining is still in its early stages. A
combination of China’s financial resources and Australia’s mineral resources could make the world’s
most important mining capital market. For Australia to boom with China, we need to also look outside
the world of mining. Education in Australia is widely popular in China, with China being the largest
source of overseas students. Education may shape the future for the relations between China and
Australia.
Therefore, as China has emerged as a global economic power base in the 21st century, Australia’s closer
ties to Asia should result in an economic boom for our nation. Focusing on background information,
trade with Britain, trading with China, China’s power in the world and what the future should bring for
the two countries, I have proved why the relationship between Australia and China is growing and how
it is important that both countries grow side by side in economy and trade.