109-607: The Australia-China Council (ACC) is a long-standing institution in the Australia-China bilateral relationship . ACC was established by the Government of Australia in 1978 to promote mutual understanding and foster people-to-people relations between Australia and China . ACC combines the cross-sectoral bilateral expertise and advisory capacity of an independent Board appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs with
218-475: A $ 9.6 billion deal. In fiscal year 2021-2022, BHP's annual profit amounted to more than $ 34 billion (an increase of 34%) of $ 65 billion (an increase of 14%). The coal division's profits reached almost $ 9 billion (a loss of $ 577 million in 2022), with the BHP's iron ore division making $ 21.7 billion (a decrease of $ 4.6 billion since 2022). Profit growth allowed the company to pay a record dividend of $ 7.6 billion for
327-632: A 50/50 joint venture to hold the Filo del Sol (FDS) and Josemaria projects. Until January 2022, BHP was a dual-listed company ; the Australian BHP Billiton Limited and the British BHP Billiton plc were separately listed with separate shareholder bodies, while conducting business as one operation with identical boards of directors and a single management structure. The headquarters of BHP Billiton Limited and
436-473: A 70-ton commemorative sculpture, The Muster Point , was installed on Industrial Drive, in the suburb of Mayfield, New South Wales . The long products side of the steel business was spun off to form OneSteel in 2000. In the 1950s, BHP began petroleum exploration, which became an increasing focus following oil and natural gas discoveries in Bass Strait in the 1960s. BHP began to diversify into
545-565: A Canadian company, was one of three bidders for the mine, tendering the lowest offer, and returned the mine to production in 2011. Ravensthorpe cost BHP US$ 3.6 billion in write-downs when it was shut in January 2009 after less than a year of production. In January 2010, following the BHP Billiton purchase of Athabasca Potash for US$ 320m, The Economist reported that, by 2020, BHP Billiton could produce approximately 15 per cent of
654-451: A Queensland fertiliser plant. The takeover achieved 90 per cent acceptance on 17 June 2005, and 100 per cent ownership was announced on 2 August 2005, achieved through compulsory acquisition of the remaining 10 per cent of the shares. On 8 November 2007, BHP Billiton announced it was seeking to purchase rival mining group Rio Tinto Group in an all-share deal. The initial offer of 3.4 shares of BHP Billiton stock for each share of Rio Tinto
763-687: A counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Beijing and later became the first head of the council's secretariat. On 11 May 1976, Dr Stephen FitzGerald wrote a letter to the then Foreign Affairs Minister, Andrew Peacock . He said: This letter led to the establishment of the Australia-China Council in 1978 by the Orders-In-Council . When FitzGerald returned to Australia, he convened a working group which presented
872-725: A fine of $ 25 million to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in 2015 in connection with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act related to its "hospitality program" at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . BHP Billiton invited 176 government and state-owned-enterprise officials to attend the Games on an all-expenses-paid package. While BHP Billiton claimed to have compliance processes in place to avoid conflicts of interest,
981-556: A freeze on approving any major new expansion projects. Days after announcing the Olympic Dam pull-out, BHP Billiton announced that it was selling its Yeelirrie Uranium Project to Canadian Cameco for a fee of around $ 430 million. The sale was part of a broader move to step away from resource expansion in Australia. On 19 August 2014, BHP Billiton announced it would create an independent global metals and mining company based on
1090-408: A major workers' strike and forced the company to declare force majeure on two shipments, which drove copper prices up by 4%. In April 2017 activist hedge fund manager Elliott Advisors proposed a plan for BHP Billiton to spin off its American petroleum assets and significantly restructure the business, including the scrapping of its dual Sydney-London listing, suggesting shares be offered only in
1199-739: A mark of respect, he was given a seat on the floor of the House of Representatives. In 1934, John Latham , the deputy leader of the government, led the Australian Eastern Mission which visited China. In 1935, Vivian Gordon Bowden was appointed as Australia's trade commissioner based in Shanghai. The establishment of trade commissions in several Asian countries was an initiative of the Lyons government first announced in 1933, where previously Australian interests had been represented by
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#17327805503781308-504: A network of over 30 Australian Studies Centres across China. The network is one of Australia's leading public diplomacy and education engagement platforms. The Australian Studies in China Program aims to build a vibrant, linked-up community of researchers, teachers and students participating in the study and research of Australian literature, economy, culture and other facets of Australian society. The Australian Studies Centres network
1417-587: A new trilateral military security partnership with the US and UK for the Indo-Pacific region named AUKUS under which Australia would acquire conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines . Although China was not specifically mentioned in the news announcements, critics interpreted it as a major blow to the Australian-Chinese relationship, by firmly allying Australia with the US in military terms in
1526-647: A record high of A$ 48.90 following speculation that Chinese mining firm Chinalco was considering purchasing a large stake. As global nickel prices fell, on 25 November 2008, Billiton announced that it would drop its A$ 66 billion takeover of rival Rio Tinto Group, stating that the "risks to shareholder value" would "increase" to "an unacceptable level" due to the 2007–2008 financial crisis . On 21 January 2009, BHP Billiton then announced that Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine in Western Australia would cease operations, ending shipments of ore from Ravensthorpe to
1635-576: A report to Peacock recommending the establishment of an advisory body which would make recommendations to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the ways to develop and strengthen relations with China and which, under ministerial supervision, administers funding to support programs which will advance the bilateral relationship. The council would have an independent board representing, on a rotating basis, all major sectors and stakeholder groups involved in Australia-China relations . The board would be supported by
1744-675: A selection of its aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel, and silver assets. The newly formed entity, named South32 , was subsequently demerged with listings on the Australian Securities Exchange the JSE and the London Stock Exchange . In 2015, BHP Billiton spun off a number of its subsidiaries in South Africa and Southern Africa to form a new company known as South32. BHP Billiton agreed to pay
1853-516: A small secretariat in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade . The model has proved to be highly successful and effective and was later replicated with other bilateral foundations, councils and institutes in DFAT. This structure has remained largely unchanged to this day. Initially, sixteen council members were appointed under the chairmanship of Professor Geoffrey Blainey , former chairman of
1962-469: A solely Australian Securities Exchange-listed company. As of 2022, BHP is the largest company in Australia, and the largest mining company in the world, both as measured by market capitalisation. In 2023, the company's position in the Forbes Global 2000 was 90th. Billiton Maatschappij was founded 29 September 1860, when its articles of association were approved by a meeting of shareholders in
2071-526: A steelworks at Newcastle was due to the technical limitations in recovering value from mining the lower-lying sulphide ores. The discovery of Iron Knob and Iron Monarch near the western shore of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia , combined with the refinement, by BHP metallurgists A. D. Carmichael and Leslie Bradford , of the froth flotation technique for separating zinc sulphides from
2180-613: A time when Communism was becoming a more topical issue, and did not do so immediately. Although Ben Chifley 's Labor government preferred to be realistic about the new Chinese government and would have supported its admission to the United Nations, it lost the election. The British government went ahead with the recognition of the PRC alone in 1950, but the United States withheld recognition. The Korean War further solidified
2289-548: A tin smelting and refining plant in Phuket , Thailand, named Thaisarco (for Thailand Smelting And Refining Company, Limited). In 1994, South Africa's Gencor acquired the mining division of Billiton excluding the downstream metal division. Billiton was divested from Gencor in 1997, and was amalgamated with Gold Fields in 1998. In 1997, Billiton plc became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and in 2001 Billiton plc merged with
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#17327805503782398-539: A total of only 30 students entered Australia to study between 1912 and 1920. In 1924, about 300 Chinese students entered Australia to study. They were mostly children of residents. Australia began accepting Chinese students for tertiary education in 1986 in English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). Several thousands Chinese were studying in Australia in 1987. In the aftermath of Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 ,
2507-815: A variety of mining projects overseas. Those included the Ok Tedi copper mine in Papua New Guinea, where the company was successfully sued by the indigenous inhabitants because of the environmental degradation caused by mining operations. BHP had better success with the giant Escondida copper mine in Chile, of which it owns 57.5%, and at the Ekati Diamond Mine in northern Canada, which BHP contracted for in 1996, began mining in 1998, and sold its 80% stake in to Dominion Diamond Corporation in 2013 as production declined. In 2001, BHP merged with
2616-604: A wide range of innovative, high‑impact projects across China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Macau and Australia that enhance Australia-China education, business and cultural connections. Its grant-making and program activities for 2014–2018 are centred on education , economic diplomacy, arts and culture and underpinned by the three cross-cutting themes: mobility, capabilities and new areas of engagement. ACC has been supporting teaching and research on Australia in China for over two decades. ACC provides funding and information support to
2725-774: A year over 10 years to develop the field and triple production. On 14 July 2011, BHP Billiton announced that it would acquire Petrohawk Energy of the United States for approximately $ 12.1 billion in cash, considerably expanding its shale natural gas resources in an offer of $ US38.75 per share. On 22 August 2012, BHP Billiton announced that it was delaying its US$ 20 billion (£12 billion) Olympic Dam copper mine expansion project in South Australia to study less capital intensive options, deferring its dual harbour strategy at West Australian Iron Ore and slowing down its Potash growth option in Canada. The company simultaneously announced
2834-523: Is also one of the largest in the world, and per capita it is the largest outside Asia , and Mandarin Chinese is the second-most spoken language in Australia. The number of Chinese people in Australia rose significantly in the Victorian gold rush era, and by 1861, was around 40,000, constituting 3.3% of the total population. Liang Lan-hsun was the first Chinese Consul-General to Australia, sent by
2943-535: Is supported by the Australia-China Council, the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, the Australian Embassy and Consulates-General in China, and the broader Australian education and business community. The BHP Chair of Australian Studies is an initiative of the Australia-China Council, the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, BHP and Peking University . The establishment of the chair
3052-478: Is the first high-profile, privately funded Australian professorial position in China - a reflection of extensive academic engagement between the two countries. The Australia-China Council provides informed advice to the Australian Government in relation to public diplomacy strategies and Australia-China economic, cultural and education engagement. ACC runs a robust outreach and advocacy program with
3161-732: The Australia in the Asian Century White Paper outlining the board's views on directions of Australia's engagement with China. Australia-China relations Consular relations between China and Australia were first established in 1909, and diplomatic relations were established in 1941. Australia continued to recognise the Republic of China (ROC) government after it lost the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan in 1949, but switched recognition to
3270-629: The COVID-19 pandemic , Australia brought in new rules to scrutinise foreign takeovers of Australian companies, after MPs in the Australian Parliament expressed concerns that companies impacted by the pandemic-induced economic slowdown would become vulnerable to buyouts by state-owned enterprises in authoritarian regimes including China. In April 2020, Australian Border Force intercepted faulty masks and other personal protective equipment kits that had been imported from China to help stop
3379-611: The CPTPP . China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner , and the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has been in effect since 2015. Numerous Australian companies operate in China and Chinese firms have invested in Australian mining companies . Australian is one of the most popular destinations for overseas higher education and tourism among Chinese people. Australia's Chinese community
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3488-872: The Canton–Hong Kong strike created tensions between China and Australia (as a dominion of Britain) as well. Following the Northern Expedition in China, greater political unity within China bolstered the Chinese Consulate-General's confidence in criticizing Australian laws that discriminated against the Chinese; they were supported domestically by a resolution at the ruling Kuomintang's Third National Conference in 1929. Australian rules against Chinese residents and visitors were relaxed in response, including making it easier for Chinese nationals to visit or study in Australia. The 1930s saw an upsurge in bilateral relations. The Consulate-General
3597-614: The Chinese government (as part of its intelligence activity internationally ) and Chinese laws, such as the China Internet Security Law , which compel companies and individuals to assist the state intelligence agency on the collection of information whenever requested. In February 2018, over fears of rising Chinese influence, the Australian Government announced tougher rules on foreign buyers of agricultural land and electricity infrastructure. In March 2020 during
3706-699: The Foundation for Australian Studies in China – a unique partnership between government, business and higher education sector, created to boost support for the Australian Studies in China through the BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies, scholarships and strategic projects. BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University is an initiative of the ACC, Foundation for Australian Studies in China, BHP Billiton and Peking University. It
3815-821: The Groot Keizershof hotel in The Hague , Netherlands. Two months later, the company acquired mineral rights to the Billiton ( Belitung ) and Bangka Islands in the Netherlands Indies archipelago off the eastern coast of Sumatra . Billiton's initial ventures included tin and lead smelting in the Netherlands, followed in the 1940s by bauxite mining in Indonesia and Suriname . In 1970, Shell acquired Billiton. Billiton opened
3924-1141: The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Australia. Australia has been a haven for Chinese migrants for centuries who have, in the modern day, established themselves as a significant minority group in Australian society. There are now large numbers of Australian-born Chinese and Chinese-born migrants/Australian Citizens in the cities of Melbourne , Sydney, and Brisbane with small Chinese communities in regional centers, particularly in Victoria , and New South Wales . There are also Chinatowns in every Australian capital city, including Darwin and large, public Chinese New Year Celebrations in Melbourne and Sydney. China has established many Confucius Institutes with Australia universities in major capital cities in Australia to foster better cultural ties. The Australian Confucius Institutes have become subject to controversy . Australians in China also had influence in
4033-544: The 1750s, bilateral trade was small scale until the 20th century. Australia's trade relations were heavily geared towards the British Empire , and at Federation in 1901, trade with China accounted for 0.3% of Australian merchandise trade flow. At that time, Australia mainly imported tea and rice from China, as well as certain luxuries such as silk. Chinese imports from Australia were focused on minerals (silver, gold, copper and pig lead), but also included grains. During
4142-677: The Australia Council. The Australia-China Council Chair's commitment, guidance and leadership has been invaluable in developing, furthering and maintaining the successful bilateral relationship that Australia and China hold today. The council makes recommendations to the Government of Australia through the Minister for Foreign Affairs on strengthening the Australia-China relationship in ways that support Australia's foreign and trade policy interests. The council's strategic objectives for 2014-18 are: ACC helps to kick-start
4251-594: The Australia-China Business Awards (ACBA) which recognise companies that have worked to deliver Australian products or services to the Greater China region. The China–Australia Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2015. Australia has raised security concerns over Chinese involvement in 5G wireless networks with a risk that cellular network equipment sourced from Chinese vendors may contain backdoors enabling surveillance by
4360-556: The Australia-China Council for two decades. Professor David Walker is the inaugural BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University – he commenced in his role in 2013. In 2016 Professor Greg McCarthy (political scientist) became the new BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University. Professor McCarthy also holds the Chair of Australian Politics at the University of Western Australia. In 2011 ACC established
4469-475: The Australian government granted protection for about 20,000 Chinese students in Australia. Since then, Australia has become one of the biggest markets for Chinese students for tertiary education. In early 2011, there were over 126,000 Chinese students in Australia and they made up 26 per cent of the total foreign students. As of September 2011, there were 150,000 Chinese students studying at Australia tertiary institutions. The Australian education export market
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4578-468: The Billiton mining company to form BHP Billiton. In 2002, flat steel products were demerged to form the publicly traded company BHP Steel which, in 2003, became BlueScope . In March 2005, BHP Billiton announced a US$ 7.3 billion agreed bid for WMC Resources , owners of the Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine in South Australia, nickel operations in Western Australia and Queensland, and
4687-584: The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) to form BHP Billiton. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP), also known by the nickname "the Big Australian", was incorporated on 13 August 1885, operating the silver and lead mine at Broken Hill , in western New South Wales , Australia. The Broken Hill group floated on 10 August 1885. The first consignment of Broken Hill ore (48 tons, 5 cwt, 3grs)
4796-485: The Chair of the Australia-China Council, Warwick Smith, delivered a major address at the Australia in China's Century Conference in Melbourne. Mr Smith spoke about the role of the Australia-China Council in the bilateral relationship and importance of institutions of 'soft power' in Australia's engagement with China and the Indo-Pacific region. The Australia-China Council Board has made a comprehensive submission to
4905-460: The Chinese government has been trying to control and monitor the ethnic Chinese living and studying in Australia, and to influence Australian politicians via political donors, which causes serious concern to Australia's security agency, Australian Security Intelligence Organization . Relations between the two countries began to deteriorate in 2018 due to growing concerns of Chinese political influence in various sectors of Australian society including
5014-614: The Government , universities and media as well as China's stance on the South China Sea dispute . The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated issues and tensions between the countries, especially after Australia called for an international, independent inquiry into the origins of the disease . The subsequent changes that China made to its trade policies have been interpreted as political retaliation and economic coercion against Australia. In September 2021, Australia announced
5123-661: The Northern Territory”. Consul Tong referred to a number of instances of discrimination and hardship, and pointed out that no distinction was being made between those who were “Foreign Subjects”, “Naturalised British Subjects” or “Australian born British Subjects” whether descended of foreign or naturalised parents. Finally the Qing representative in Australia felt that it was “almost a work of supererogation” when he needed to point out that naturalised British subjects gave up their previous nationality in expectation of having “all
5232-490: The People's Republic of China (PRC) on 21 December 1972. Chinese Australians have been a significant minority group in the country since the Qing dynasty . The relationship between China and Australia has grown considerably over the years. They have strong political, economic, and cultural ties, including through multilateral organizations such as APEC , East Asia Summit and the G20 . In 2023, Australia expressed its tentative support for China's application for membership of
5341-770: The People's Republic of China, China began market-orientated reforms, which led to a significant and increasing expansion of bilateral trade. China is Australia's biggest trading partner mainly due to China's strong demand for iron ore, coal and liquefied natural gas . Exports to China helped Australia escape the worst effects of the global financial crisis . Many major Australian mining companies rely heavily on China and other growing big economies such as India for exports. These companies include Fortescue Metals Group , Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Xstrata who have major Australian operations. China exports mainly clothing, telecommunications equipment and components, computers, toys, prams and sporting equipment. The bilateral trade between
5450-541: The People's Republic predated that of the United States by seven years. The establishment of relations with "Red China" roused great excitement in Australia. Stephen Fitzgerald became the first Australian ambassador to the People's Republic of China, and Wang Guoquan was the first PRC ambassador to Australia. Since the Chinese economic reforms initiated by the late Deng Xiaoping , China has benefited from significant investment in China by Australian companies (for example, future Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had set up
5559-415: The ROC (the mission was allowed to remain but, until 1959, was headed by a chargé d'affaires ). Likewise, until 1966 Australia did not send an ambassador to Taiwan. From as early as 1954, the Australian government's Department of External Affairs was recommending the recognition of the PRC, but this advice was not politically accepted. During the Cold War, Australia's strategic alignment swung further towards
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#17327805503785668-421: The Republic of China replaced the Qing empire. The Consulate-General immediately set about mobilizing the Chinese community in support of the new government, collecting funds and sending delegates to elect overseas Chinese deputies in the new Chinese parliament. Different political factions in China found support in Australia: while the Consulate-General sponsored groups supporting Yuan Shikai 's Beijing government,
5777-411: The SEC found that BHP Billiton had invited officials from at least four countries where BHP Billiton had interests in influencing the officials' decisions ( Congo , Guinea , Philippines and Burundi ). In August 2016, BHP Billiton recorded its worst annual loss in history, $ 6.4 billion. Towards the end of 2016 BHP Billiton indicated it would expand its petroleum business and make new investments in
5886-404: The US." On 19 June 2020, the Australian government announced that there had been a spate of cyber-attacks on Australian businesses and government agencies from a "sophisticated state based actor", without naming China directly. However, sources familiar with the Australian government's thinking said there was a high degree of confidence that China was behind the cyber-attacks. China denied that it
5995-449: The United Kingdom, while leaving its headquarters and tax residences in Australia where shares would trade as depository instruments. At the time of the correspondence Elliott held about 4.1 per cent of the issued shares in London-listed BHP Billiton plc, worth $ 3.81 billion. Australia's government warned it would block moves to shift BHP Billiton's stock listing from Australia to the United Kingdom. Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison said
6104-437: The United Kingdom. In 1941, after Australia established greater independence in foreign affairs, Australia established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China . Frederic Eggleston , who previously headed the Commonwealth Grants Commission , was appointed the first minister to China in Chongqing , China's war-time capital, while Hsu Mo , deputy foreign minister, was appointed the first minister to Australia. In 1948,
6213-411: The United States' position of supporting the Republic of China regime in Taiwan instead of the PRC. Wavering between its two traditional allies, Australia chose to follow the lead of the United States, rather than Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Canada, and Italy (all of which switched recognition to the PRC before 1970). However, from 1950, Australia refused to accept ambassadors from
6322-446: The United States), and in December 1972, after Whitlam's victory in that year's federal election, Australia established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and Australia ceased to recognise the Republic of China government of Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan. Although Whitlam's decision was informed by warming relations between China and the West generally, especially the United States, Australian diplomatic relations with
6431-506: The United States. While the Labor Party 's official policy from 1955 was that Australia should follow the examples of Britain and France in recognizing the PRC, on the basis that the ROC was unlikely to recover the mainland, the Liberal Party-led Coalition played up the perceived threat of a Communist China for electoral advantage, including the support of the anti-Communist Democratic Labor Party . As part of this political strategy, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt explicitly recognised
6540-656: The Yabulu nickel plant in Queensland Australia. Yabulu refinery was subsequently sold to Queensland billionaire Clive Palmer , becoming the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery . Pinto Valley mine in the United States was also closed. Mine closures and general scaling back during the 2007–2008 financial crisis accounted for 6,000 employee lay offs. As the nickel market became saturated by both spiraling economics and cheaper extraction methods; on 9 December 2009, BHP Billiton sold its Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine , which had cost A$ 2.4 billion to build, to Vancouver -based First Quantum Minerals for US$ 340 million. First Quantum,
6649-410: The accompanying gangue and subsequent conversion (Carmichael–Bradford process) to oxides of the metal, allowed BHP to economically extract valuable metals from the heaps of tailings up to 40 feet (12 m) high at the mine site. In 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy targeted the BHP steelworks during the largely unsuccessful shelling of Newcastle . Newcastle operations were closed in 1999, and
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#17327805503786758-429: The aim to promote diversity, depth and strength of the bilateral relationship among its vast network of partners, grantees, alumni, supporters and friends and broad Australian community. ACC is increasingly active online as a provider of high-quality, relevant and up-to-date information about the Australia-China relationship. ACC ‘Australia-China relations’ web-space is one of the most comprehensive Australian resources on
6867-401: The ban was to "secure the health and safety of Chinese consumers" before adding China's criticism against Australia's pursuit of an investigation into the origins COVID-19, which was first discovered in China. The spokesman, Zhao Lijian , denied that the two issues were connected. From 19 May 2020, China instituted an 80% tariff on barley imports from Australia. China stated the tariffs were
6976-417: The bilateral relationship. The Australia-China Council Board undertakes regular official visits to China. The visits focus on engagement with the Australian Studies Centres network, Chinese government, think-tanks, business, arts, media and education stakeholders. This gives the board the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the current political and socioeconomic developments in China. On 30 May 2014
7085-493: The company. Anderson successfully completed the four-year project with a merger between BHP and London-based Billiton. In July 2002, Brian Gilbertson of Billiton was appointed CEO, but resigned after just six months, citing irreconcilable differences with the board. Upon Gilbertson's departure in early 2003, Chip Goodyear was appointed the new CEO, increasing sales by 47 per cent and profits by 78 per cent during his tenure. Goodyear retired on 30 September 2007. Marius Kloppers
7194-414: The consul's attention was focused on trade relations, not discrimination against Chinese migrants. However the last Qing Consul Tong Ying Tung did become involved in assisting Chinese in Australia. Consul-General Tong Ying Tung in an interesting letter to the Minister of the Department of External Affairs declared that the “officers of your Department are operating most harshly against Chinese residents in
7303-445: The continuing legitimacy of the ROC government in Taiwan in 1966, by sending an ambassador to Taipei for the first time. The government of William McMahon sought to improve non-official relations with China, in areas such as trade and culture, but China was not receptive to such exchanges without diplomatic recognition. As opposition leader, Gough Whitlam visited China in 1971 (before Henry Kissinger 's historic visit on behalf of
7412-583: The culmination of multi-year Chinese investigations into dumping and government subsidies. The Australian government and the industry strongly rejected China's findings. The previous week, China had unfrozen barley imports from the United States. Annual estimates (dated around 2017–2018) state China grows less than two million tonnes (4.4 billion pounds) of barley per year and imports about nine million tonnes (20 billion pounds) of barley annually. Australia grows about nine million tonnes (20 billion pounds) per year, three times as much as
7521-436: The design of the Houbei class missile boat . On 8 April 2013, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the deal that the Australian dollar is set to become only the third currency after the US dollar and the Japanese yen to trade directly with the Chinese yuan during a trip to Shanghai. To encourage Australian entrepreneurship in Greater China, the Australian Chamber of Commerce of Greater China organises every year
7630-399: The dominating W. R. Wilson had had to lend William Jamieson , General Manager, a new suit so he could take the first prospectus, printed at Silverton near Broken Hill on 20 June 1885, to Adelaide to start the float process. The geographic Broken Hill, for which the town was named, was discovered and named by Captain Charles Sturt , stirring great interest among prospectors. Nothing of note
7739-423: The early 20th century, agricultural produce began to make up a larger share of Australian exports to China, including a growing demand for Australian butter and wheat. By 1917–18, Australia was exporting 431,287 kilograms (950,825 lb) of butter to China. Meanwhile, Australian demand for silk and other textiles increased during the early 20th century. World War II disrupted trade between Australia and China. In
7848-697: The enactment of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 . Mei Quong Tart , had for years been favored as the first Chinese Consul-General by the Chinese community, the European consular corps, as well as the Australian Prime Minister, but he died in 1903 before the Consulate-General had been set up. Instead, the first Consul-General was Liang Lan-hsun, an imperial official and experienced diplomat. However,
7957-543: The ensuing months of fruitless search, three of the original seven (now remembered as the Syndicate of Seven ) sold their shares, so that, on the eve of the company's great success, there were nine shareholders, including Rasp, McCulloch, Philip Charly (aka Charley), David James, James Poole (five of the original syndicate of seven, which had previously included George Urquhart and G.A.M. Lind), Bowes Kelly, W. R. Wilson, and William Jamieson (who had bought shares from several of
8066-582: The entire US. On 25 May 2020, the Chinese government warned Australia to "distance" itself from the US amid growing tensions. Accusing the US of pushing for a "new Cold War", Beijing said that any support Australia shows for the US would deliver "a fatal blow" to the Australian economy. The Global Times said in a related report, "Australia's economic deterrent force is much smaller than the US', so China to some extent will enjoy more room to fight back against Australia with countermeasures if Canberra supports Washington... it means Australia may feel more pain than
8175-451: The establishments of Australian rules football teams. Australians have gone to China to study since the 19th century. William Mayers studied in China from 1859, and was involved in negotiations to bring the first railway and steam engine to China. In 2011, China was overall the most popular destination for Australian students studying overseas. It was the most popular destination for Australian students undertaking short-term studies overseas,
8284-551: The final two bidders for the 2000 Summer Olympics . Australia subsequently won and Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics. Eight years later, China hosted the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. Australia is one of the few countries in the world during the global financial crisis that was not in recession. Its continued economic growth due to that period is partly attributed to large demand and long term strong fundamentals from China. As China's influence raises,
8393-446: The first China-foreign joint venture mining company in China in 1994), while Australia has benefited from the Chinese appetite for natural resources to modernise its economy, infrastructure and meet its growing energy demands. In 2009, it was estimated the trade and investment with China brought benefits of close to $ 4000 per Australian household; in 2011, this was estimated to be A$ 10,500 per household per year. China and Australia were
8502-562: The founders). John Darling, Jr. became a director of the company in 1892 and was chairman of directors from 1907 to 1914. Strongly encouraged by the New South Wales Minister for Public Works, Arthur Hill Griffith , in 1915, the company ventured into steel manufacturing, with its operations based primarily at the Newcastle Steelworks . The decision to move from mining ore at Broken Hill to opening
8611-665: The global headquarters of the combined group were located in Melbourne , Australia. The headquarters of BHP Billiton plc were located in London, England. Its main office locations were in Australia, the U.S., Canada, the UK, Chile, Malaysia, and Singapore. The company's shares traded on the following exchanges: BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc were renamed BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, respectively, on 19 November 2018. In 1998, BHP hired American Paul Anderson to restructure
8720-511: The global investment community. On 22 February 2011, BHP Billiton announced that it had paid $ 4.75 billion in cash to Chesapeake Energy for its Fayetteville shale assets, which include 487,000 acres (1,970 km ) of mineral rights leases and 420 miles (680 km) of pipeline located in north central Arkansas . The wells on the mineral leases are currently producing about 415 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. BHP Billiton planned to spend $ 800 million to $ 1 billion
8829-599: The government of Qing Empire in 1909 to Melbourne, then the seat of the Australian government. While the Chinese community had agitated for a Qing consulate in Australia for many years, there was reluctance from the British Foreign Office to approve such a move. After federation, the Chinese community's desire for an official voice in Australia increased due to the push for the White Australia Policy and anti-Chinese sentiment following
8938-629: The half-year ending December 31. BHP made an offer to acquire Anglo American for £31 billion in April 2024; however, the offer was rejected by the Anglo American as "highly unattractive". A revised offer was also rejected in May 2024. In July 2024, BHP and Lundin Mining agreed to jointly acquire 100% of Filo Corp. through a Canadian plan of arrangement. BHP and Lundin Mining also agreed to form
9047-476: The mining town of Silverton, New South Wales . As of 2024, BHP was the world’s largest mining company by market capitalization and the world’s third-largest by revenue . Total iron ore revenue for the company increased by US$ 3.1 billion to US$ 28.0 billion in Fiscal Year 2024, accounting for 50.2% of the company’s revenue, while copper and coal contributed 33.4% and 13.8%, respectively. BHP Billiton
9156-535: The move would be contrary to the country's national interest and would breach government orders mandating a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange. BHP Billiton dismissed the plan saying the costs and risks of Elliott's proposal outweighed any potential benefits. In May 2017, with much of the former Billiton assets having been disposed of, BHP Billiton began to rebrand itself as BHP, at first in Australia and then globally. It replaced
9265-542: The opposing Chinese Nationalist League (later a branch of the Kuomintang ) was formed in Sydney in 1916. A relaxation in Australia's racial exclusion laws led to broader people-to-people interactions. By 1924, 200 Chinese students were arriving in Australia to study in that year alone. An Australian trade commissioner was briefly stationed in China in 1921–22. In the mid-1920s, conflict between China and Britain surrounding
9374-401: The policy-making and management base in the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade . By the time of the ACC's fortieth anniversary in 2018, it had "funded over 2,600 projects at a value of more than $ 23 million". The concept of the Australia-China Council was borne out of discussions in 1975 between the first Australian Ambassador to China , Dr Stephen FitzGerald , and Jocelyn Chey who was
9483-448: The post-war decades, wool became an important Australian commodity imported by China. From the 1960s, however, agricultural shortages in China led to heavy imports of Australian wheat. By the early 1970s, China still accounted for only 1% of Australia's merchandise trade flow. In July 1972, a Chinese table tennis team visited New Zealand and Australia as part of the Chinese "Ping Pong" diplomacy push. They did not get an official reception;
9592-457: The region. China was critical of the formation of AUKUS. Australia's ties to China include its relations with Hong Kong which date back to when both were under British rule. Although Hong Kong, as a special administrative area of China, cannot conduct its own foreign affairs, consular and economic representations exist. Australia maintains a consulate in Hong Kong, while Hong Kong maintains
9701-492: The resource sector similar to the sentiments on Japanese investments in Australia in the 1980s, but that has somewhat heated up and dissipated depending on the investments which were scrutinised by the Foreign Investment Review Board and politicians. Australia is focused on investments which have a win win situations with participation of local companies participation and jobs growth. In 2000,
9810-707: The rights and privileges of British Subjects.” Regarding those that were subjects of the Emperor, the Consul-General argued that, with Chinese numbers down and the Commonwealth in full control of its immigration, to treat these small numbers of “innocent persons” so harshly would seem “unnecessary and deplorable”. Not to mention the damage to the fishing industry he had already pointed out. [NAA: A1, 1911/8882, Consul-General for China, Tong Ying Tung to Minister for External Affairs, 22 March 1911.] On 1 January 1912,
9919-566: The sale of its Fayetteville Onshore US gas assets to a wholly owned subsidiary of Merit Energy Company. In August 2021, BHP announced plans to exit the oil and gas industry by merging its hydrocarbon business with Woodside Energy , Australia's largest independent gas producer. It also announced its intention to delist from the London Stock Exchange and consolidate on the Australian Securities Exchange . This occurred in January 2022. In April 2023, BHP took over Oz Minerals in
10028-557: The sector. In February 2017, BHP Billiton announced a $ 2.2 billion investment in the new BP platform in the Gulf of Mexico . During the same year, as part of their plan to increase productivity at the Escondida mine in Chile, which is the world's biggest copper mine, BHP Billiton attempted to get workers to accept a 4-year pay freeze, a 66% reduction in the end-of-conflict bonus offering, and increased shift flexibility. This resulted in
10137-440: The seventh most popular destination for long-term studies, and also the seventh most popular destination for practical placements. In 2014, there were 4,700 Australians studying in Chinese universities, and in 2015 the Australian government's New Colombo Plan was expected to send 525 tertiary students to study in China. There is also a long tradition of Chinese students going to Australia to study. The numbers were small initially:
10246-471: The slogan "The Big Australian" with "Think Big", with an advertising campaign rolling out in mid May 2017. Work on the change began in late 2015 according to BHP's chief external affairs officer. In August 2017, BHP announced that it would sell off its US shale oil and gas business. In July 2018, the company agreed to sell its shale assets to BP for $ 10.5 billion. BHP indicated its intention to return funds to investors. On 29 September 2018, BHP completed
10355-516: The spread of coronavirus. Relations deteriorated further in May 2020 after Australia called for an independent investigation into the initial coronavirus outbreak in China, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggesting that WHO needed tough "weapons inspector" powers to investigate the cause of the outbreak. On 12 May 2020, China banned import of beef from four Australian beef processing firms, constituting about 35% of Australia's beef exports to China. A spokesman for China's foreign ministry said that
10464-632: The team came via New Zealand where they were given an official afternoon tea and met the Prime Minister Jack Marshall and Foreign Minister Keith Holyoake (the chief Table Tennis official Madame Cheng Chi-Hung was actually the head of the American, Western European and Australasian Department in the Chinese Foreign Ministry). A few years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and
10573-513: The two countries established the Australia-China Bilateral Dialogue for Energy and Resources Cooperation (BDERC). BDERC is the primary high-level mechanism for energy dialogue between Australia and China, with a particular focus on fossil fuels. Australia has been a vital source of the high technology needed for China to enforce its claims to vast reaches of the western Pacific, including the base technology for
10682-748: The two countries is worth A$ 105 billion in 2010/2011. Australia's exports to China totalled A$ 64.8 billion, while China's export to Australia was worth A$ 41.1 billion in 2010–2011 period. There are direct flights from a number of cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong SAR and Guangzhou to Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Recently, China Southern Airlines have commenced scheduled commercial flights to Perth from Guangzhou in early November 2011. China Southern has its pilot training facilities in Australia for many years. They are in Jandakot and Merredin which were established in 1993. There were initial fears of Chinese investment in
10791-594: The two countries upgraded their mutual representations to ambassadors. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China ("PRC") in 1949 and the retreat of the Republic of China ("ROC") government to Taiwan , Australia did not recognise the PRC. The United Kingdom proposed in 1949 that Britain, Australia and New Zealand should simultaneously recognise the new government. However, the Australian and New Zealand governments were concerned about electoral repercussions at
10900-466: The world demand for potash . In August 2010, BHP Billiton made a hostile takeover bid worth US$ 40 billion for PotashCorp . The bid came after BHP's first bid, made on 17 August, was rejected as being undervalued. This acquisition marked a major strategic move by BHP outside hard commodities and commenced the diversification of its business away from resources with high exposure to carbon price risk, like coal, petroleum and iron ore. The takeover bid
11009-487: Was announced by the Prime Minister in April 2011 during the official visit to China. It is the first high-profile, privately funded Australian professorial position in China, and is a reflection of strong and multifaceted education engagement between the two countries. The chair also provides academic leadership to a network of more than 30 Australian studies centres in Chinese universities, which has been supported by
11118-500: Was discovered until 5 November 1883, when Charles Rasp , boundary rider for the surrounding Mount Gipps Station , pegged out a 40-acre claim with contractors David James and James Poole. Together with a half-dozen backers , including station manager George McCulloch (a young cousin of Victorian Premier Sir James McCulloch ), Rasp formed the Broken Hill Company staking out the entire Hill. As costs mounted during
11227-709: Was formed in 2001 through the merger of the Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) and the Anglo–Dutch Billiton plc trading on both the Australian and London Stock Exchanges as a dual-listed company . In 2015, some BHP Billiton assets were demerged and rebranded as South32 , while a scaled-down BHP Billiton became BHP. In 2018, BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc became BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, respectively. In January 2022, BHP relinquished its London Stock Exchange listing, becoming
11336-418: Was involved and said it "firmly opposed all forms of cyber attacks". The average cost of cybercrime to a business in Australia is around $ 276,000 Australian dollars. BHP BHP Group Limited , formerly known as BHP Billiton , is an Australian multinational mining and metals public company headquartered in Melbourne , Australia. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded on 16 July 1885 in
11445-493: Was opposed by the Government of Saskatchewan under Premier Brad Wall . On 3 November, Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement announced the preliminary rejection of the deal under the Investment Canada Act , giving BHP Billiton 30 days to refine their deal before a final decision was made; BHP withdrew its offer on 14 November 2010. Canada's decision to block the deal was generally viewed as surprising by
11554-433: Was rejected by the board of Rio Tinto for "significantly undervaluing" the company. It was unknown at the time whether BHP Billiton would attempt to purchase Rio Tinto through some form of hostile takeover . A formal hostile bid of 3.4 BHP Billiton shares for each Rio Tinto share was announced on 6 February 2008; The bid was withdrawn 25 November 2008 due to global recession . On 14 May 2008, BHP Billiton shares rose to
11663-557: Was reorganised and moved to Sydney, with sub-consulates opened in other key cities. Various Chinese officials visited Australia. In 1931–2, Lin Sen , Chairman of the National Government of China and figurehead head of state, visited Sydney and Melbourne. This was the first visit to Australia by a Chinese head of state, and Lin used the opportunity to press for greater relaxation of Australia's restrictions on Chinese migration. As
11772-603: Was smelted at the Intercolonial Smelting and Refining Company's works at Spotswood, Victoria , a suburb of Melbourne. Historian Christopher Jay notes: The resulting 35,605 ounces of silver raised a lot of interest when exhibited at the City of Melbourne Bank in Collins Street . Some sceptics asserted the promoters were merely using silver from somewhere else, to ramp up the shares.... Another shareholder,
11881-834: Was worth 2009/10 A$ 19 billion. The well-developed nature of Australia-China education relations has spawned a thriving sphere of bilateral youth engagement, with non-government organizations such as the Australia China Youth Association , Australia-China Youth Dialogue, Australia-China Young Professionals Initiative, and Engaging China Project receiving high-level government and university support to connect thousands of young Australians and Chinese to academic, cultural, and professional exchanges. The Australia China Alumni Association facilitates continued cooperation for graduates of Australian universities who become active in business in China. Although Chinese traders were reportedly present in Australia from
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