On the afternoon of 26 September 2025, the Australia-China Commerce and Industry Alliance (ACCIA) and the Australian Traditional Chinese Medicine Chamber of Commerce jointly hosted a delegation from the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce for wide-ranging discussions. Su Xinfeng, Chairman of ACCIA and Honorary President of the Australian Traditional Chinese Medicine Chamber of Commerce, attached great importance to this meeting and discussion.

The event brought together key representatives from the Jilin provincial government and business community for in-depth discussions on themes including economic and trade cooperation, business and commerce, and cultural tourism.

Mr Zheng Maoqiang, Vice Chairman and Executive President of ACCIA, first extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation from the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce. President Zheng outlined the important role the Alliance has long played in promoting trade, culture, education and business exchange between Australia and China. A promotional video of ACCIA was then screened, giving a full overview of its development and achievements and laying the groundwork for further discussion between the two sides.

Dr Michael Li, Honorary Chairman of ACCIA, who arranged and led the business roundtable, extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation from the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce.

Bi Guohui, Deputy Director of the Foreign Trade Administration Division of the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce, spoke on behalf of the visiting delegation.

He said that as an important province in Northeast China, Jilin has distinct advantages in foreign trade, agricultural development and cultural tourism. He said the purpose of leading this delegation of entrepreneurs to Australia was to seek new opportunities for cooperation with the Australian business community through face-to-face exchange, and to help bring Jilin brands to international markets.

Wang Ke, Deputy Director of the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce, explained in detail the cultivation methods and growing periods of wild mountain ginseng, forest-grown ginseng and garden-cultivated ginseng, noting that Jilin ranks first in both quality and quantity of ginseng production in China and globally, and that there is great potential for Australia-China cooperation in this area. He also said that Jilin hopes to cooperate with the TCM Chamber of Commerce to help bring Jilin's Chinese herbal medicines to international markets.

Guo Jun, Deputy Mayor of Meihe New District in Jilin, introduced the local investment environment and efforts to attract investment, and welcomed ACCIA to organise a delegation to visit Jilin. Guests from both sides spoke in a warm atmosphere, with discussions covering areas including medicine and health, investment cooperation, technological innovation, and cultural tourism.

Chen Jianchao, Founding President of the Australian Traditional Chinese Medicine Chamber of Commerce, outlined the chamber's development and its future areas and direction of growth, and emphasised the unique role of traditional Chinese medicine in promoting Australia-China cultural exchange.

Executive President Chen Qizhuang further shared the chamber's future plans for building a traditional Chinese medicine museum and cultivating medicinal herbs, and expressed hope for closer cooperation with pharmaceutical enterprises in Jilin. Both sides reached an intention to cooperate in areas including traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal materials and related industries.

Wang Miaofan, General Manager of the Harbour Group at the Sydney Harbour Waterfront Development Zone, introduced the scope of development work and functional zones of the Sydney waterfront development, and welcomed Jilin enterprises to participate in project cooperation to jointly promote Australia-China trade and economic development.

Jilin business representatives who travelled with the delegation also spoke enthusiastically, covering fields including agriculture and animal husbandry, craft development, energy-saving building materials, home furnishings manufacturing, and healthcare for the elderly. Both sides expressed hope that this exchange would attract more Australian enterprises and investors to pay attention to the Northeast China market. Other entrepreneurs each introduced the development of their enterprises and their signature products, expressing a strong desire to expand into overseas markets and deepen international cooperation. There was frequent interaction on site, with entrepreneurs from both sides exchanging business cards and discussing the feasibility of specific cooperation, in a warm and sincere atmosphere. This business visit and roundtable was not only an exchange between the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce and the Australian business community, but also an important step in helping entrepreneurs from both countries build understanding and strengthen cooperation. Through in-depth, face-to-face exchange, both sides identified potential and scope for cooperation across multiple fields, laying a solid foundation for future project engagement and practical cooperation. With the successful conclusion of the event, this visit by the Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce delegation not only strengthened the friendship between the two sides, but also further built a bridge for Australia-China trade and economic cooperation. Both sides agreed that this would serve as a new starting point for continuing to pursue mutually beneficial outcomes and working together to create broader prospects for development.