AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TAIWAN BUSINESS AWARDS DINNER
REMARKS BY AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE JENNY BLOOMFIELD
1 September 2022
Ministry of Economic Affairs Deputy Minister Chern-Chyi "C.C." Chen
ANZCham Chairman Jeffrey Chen
New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office Director Mark Pearson
Distinguished guests, friends of Australia and Taiwan, and New Zealand
As is customary in Australia, I would first like to acknowledge the Indigenous peoples of Australia, Taiwan, and New Zealand, and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
I am delighted to join you this evening for this year’s ANZCham Business Awards.
ANZCham is a key organization playing an important role in further strengthening the trade, investment and business partnerships between Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
I would like to thank Chairman Jeffrey Chen, Executive Director Glenn Lio and Business Manager Lily Hu, board members, and the broader ANZCham membership, for your strong contribution, and I congratulate all of tonight’s winners on your wonderful success.
I recently returned from my first trip to Australia in two years, where I saw first-hand the strength of Australia-Taiwan business and community links. Our partnership is strong and mutually beneficial, based on shared values and interests but most of all, deep friendship and close people to people links.
And I would like to acknowledge here this evening Mr Jerry Guo, chairman of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Oceania. Thank you for your support.
I am delighted that, despite the challenge of COVID, we have continued to strengthen our partnership. Two-way goods trade has reached new heights, valued at AUD32 billion in FY2021-22, while two-way investment stood at nearly AUD35 billion in 2021.
And we are taking forward many exciting opportunities to further deepen our partnership – from hydrogen, green energy and offshore wind, to food and agriculture, health and biotechnology, financial services, the digital economy, science and technology including women in STEM, to education, VET and English language learning.
We are also deepening people to people links, working to promote human rights, gender equality, Indigenous opportunity, and arts, cultural and youth exchanges.
In this Australia-Taiwan Friendship Year, Taiwan is, and will remain, an important partner for Australia. And organisations such as ANZCham play a key role. I thank you all for your support, and I look forward to working together to make our partnership and friendship even stronger, and our future more prosperous.
Thank you.