AWI hosts Chinese journalists
With the aim of improving understanding of the importance of the Australia–China Free Trade Agreement, AWI hosted a group of Chinese journalists recently.
Brian van Rooyen, chairman of the Australia China Wool Free Trade Committee, says the group of five journalists, representing a range of newspapers including the Chinese Farmer’s Daily and Southern Rural News, visited AWI’s Sydney headquarters for a presentation followed by questions.
“It was an important opportunity to explain to them the benefits to China and Australia of the Free Trade Agreement and the complementary nature of our wool industry to that in China,” Mr van Rooyen says.
"They were interested in the Australian wool industry and how our technologies can improve their industry. It certainly allowed us to work towards open communications between the two countries.”
Last year Mr van Rooyen led a team of woolgrowers and industry officials to China to take a closer look at the country’s wool growing. He says competition between the two countries is small. Most Australian wool is Merino, which makes up no more than 10 per cent of Chinese wool production. Most Chinese wool is broader and shorter, greater than 25 micron and suitable for use in a different range of apparel and textile products.
After leaving Sydney the group travelled to Canberra, where the National Farmers’ Federation hosted an industry roundtable with representatives from the wool, beef, grains, sugar, cotton and rice industries. WoolProducers executive director Greg Weller gave a presentation on behalf of the wool industry, backing up key messages delivered earlier by AWI.
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 27 index page.