https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/274934/feed Helped by its massive natural resources, Australia has weathered the global financial crisis better than other Group of 20 economies. In 2012, its economy grew 3.1 per cent, compared with 1.6 per cent in the United States and 1.1 per cent in Canada. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Bloomberg Bloomberg Ross Surace is preparing to raise the price of a coffee by 50 Australian cents and a panini by A$1 (US$0.70) when the country bans credit card surcharge fees starting on Thursday. The co-owner of Lennox Street Deli in Melbourne’s Moonee Ponds neighbourhood said bank-imposed card fees already cost his business more than A$1,000 (US$690) a week, even after the cafe recoups some of the expense by adding a 1.9 per cent surcharge to customers’ card payments. Once that option disappears, Surace... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3369406/australias-card-surcharge-ban-forces-cafes-shops-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3369406/australias-card-surcharge-ban-forces-cafes-shops-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 02:44:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australian home prices fell for a fifth month in August in the biggest downturn since the pandemic, and there is further pain ahead as stubborn inflation puts upward pressure on interest rates. Figures from property consultant Cotality released on Tuesday showed national home prices fell 0.9 per cent in August from July, when they dropped 1.2 per cent. Sydney ‌and Melbourne again led the monthly decline with falls of 1.4 per cent and 1.1 per cent, leaving prices down about 7 per cent from their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3365916/australias-biggest-property-downturn-pandemic-threatens-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3365916/australias-biggest-property-downturn-pandemic-threatens-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:18:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia’s foreign minister attacked the policies of the far-right One Nation party, arguing that its call for a monoculture would damage social cohesion at home and relations with friends and allies abroad. “The call for a monoculture is a call for Australia to curtail our choices and cut off our connections,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a speech on Friday in Sydney. “At a time where external and internal forces are seeking to divide us, turning Australians against each other makes us... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3364204/australian-foreign-minister-defends-multiculturalism-attacks-far-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3364204/australian-foreign-minister-defends-multiculturalism-attacks-far-right?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:53:59 +0000 Chelsea Yang Chelsea Yang While global markets watched closely for another joint move by Washington and Tokyo to prop up the Japanese yen this week, Australian dollar traders have been laser-focused on the actions of another economic power: China. Some analysts view the Australian currency as particularly sensitive to policy moves in Beijing. If China intervenes to boost domestic growth, that could also lift the Australian dollar, the theory goes. But in reality, the currency’s exposure to the world’s second-largest... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3363103/does-beijing-really-have-power-lift-australian-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3363103/does-beijing-really-have-power-lift-australian-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia forecasts a A$38 billion (US$26 billion) lift in its export income as commodity and energy prices rise because of the war in Iran. The nation’s resources exports are set to rise almost 3 per cent to A$416 billion in the financial year through June 2027, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources said in its latest resources and energy quarterly on Friday. The extra earnings assume trade is disrupted until end-June 2026, with a further A$7 billion windfall possible if that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3359235/australia-expects-gain-extra-us26-billion-exports-after-iran-war-raises-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3359235/australia-expects-gain-extra-us26-billion-exports-after-iran-war-raises-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:46:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Energy exploration has picked up sharply in Australia, driven ⁠by growing Asian gas demand, technological advances and an improved investment climate, with the Iran war ⁠underscoring the urgency to develop supply after years of sluggish spending. Quarterly oil and gas exploration spending in Australia, the world’s No 2 liquefied natural gas producer, hit a 10-year high of A$471 million (US$324 million) in the March quarter, government data released in June showed. Energy investment sentiment has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3358683/australian-energy-exploration-hits-10-year-high-asian-gas-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3358683/australian-energy-exploration-hits-10-year-high-asian-gas-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:58:34 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Australian beef will soon be subject to an additional 55 per cent import duty in China, with shipments of the meat about to surpass an annual quota set by Beijing, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Tuesday. Imports of Australian beef have already reached 90 per cent of this year’s quota, meaning that a tariff adjustment will soon be triggered, the ministry announced via an alert. Until recently, most imports of Australian beef were subject to low or even zero tariffs in China under a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:30:05 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Chinese multinational company Landbridge Group’s legal claim regarding Darwin Port – the first case ever brought against Australia at the international tribunal – is likely to yield a multi-year proceeding, which could serve as a buffer to provide some positive impacts for the Australia-China relationship, analysts said. The owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, filed a case with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID) requesting “arbitration proceedings” over... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two countries have grown increasingly concerned about the changing security and economic environment in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 10:11:29 +0000 Agencies Agencies An Australian company will import 250,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser from Indonesia in the coming months, easing fears of a shortage that would crimp food production, Canberra said on Friday. Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of crops including wheat, barley and canola but relies on fertiliser imports that are threatened by ‌the war on Iran, which has cut supply from the Middle East, a major urea producer. The price of urea, a source of nitrogen that fuels plant growth, has risen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:21:05 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:27:41 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s travel industry is expecting a sharp increase in visitors to Australia during this month’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as millions of tourists fan out across the world for a nine-day break. Industry insiders said the lure of wine, seafood, nature and flexible small-group itineraries was driving interest in the island country. Australia is projected to attract “the most travellers from China” during the break, with bookings likely to more than double over last year’s total, according... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo Subdued Chinese demand was a key contributor to a decline in Australia’s wine exports last year, according to the Australian government agency that promotes the industry. With consumer sentiment and evolving tastes reshaping the Chinese market, shipments to mainland China fell 17 per cent year on year to A$755 million (US$532.10 million) – the biggest single factor in an 8 per cent fall in Australia’s total wine exports last year – Wine Australia said in a report released on Wednesday. The weak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3341760/how-changing-tastes-china-are-hitting-australias-wine-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3341760/how-changing-tastes-china-are-hitting-australias-wine-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:17:00 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing has pledged to step in if Canberra commits to regaining control of a strategic port in northern Australia that is leased to a Chinese firm. Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Wednesday that Beijing “has the obligation to take measures” to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese companies overseas if the port of Darwin were taken back through a forced sale, according to Australian media reports. During last year’s successful re-election campaign, Australian Prime Minister... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:39 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat Russia’s shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China soared last month, consolidating Moscow’s role as the top energy supplier to the world’s second-largest economy even in the face of Western sanctions. Imports of LNG from Russia surged 142.6 per cent, year on year, to 1.6 million tonnes, displacing Australia to become one of China’s top two biggest suppliers alongside Qatar last month, according to the latest customs data. Russian LNG accounted for 23.5 per cent of China’s total... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3337367/russian-lng-shipments-china-surge-143-november-overtaking-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3337367/russian-lng-shipments-china-surge-143-november-overtaking-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 03:00:18 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Australia, with its stable political and economic landscape, is likely to attract more property investors from Hong Kong and mainland China in the coming year, according to agents. The luxury property segment of the world’s sixth-largest country is also expected to see increased interest from affluent investors looking for cost-efficient safe havens amid changes in the immigration and residency requirements of the US and the UK, among other jurisdictions. “For many years, Australia has been a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3332923/australia-draws-mainland-hong-kong-homebuyers-back-stable-policies-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3332923/australia-draws-mainland-hong-kong-homebuyers-back-stable-policies-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 03:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s public broadcaster said on Thursday it will again base a correspondent in China, five years after two journalists fled the country under diplomatic protection as bilateral ties soured. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Bill Birtles and Australian Financial Review correspondent Michael Smith were rushed out of the country in September 2020 after Chinese police conducted midnight raids on their homes and sought to question them. The broadcaster said it had been “eager to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3323539/australia-china-ties-abc-resumes-beijing-bureau-after-5-years-xi-albanese-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3323539/australia-china-ties-abc-resumes-beijing-bureau-after-5-years-xi-albanese-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:43:08 +0000 Kandy Wong,Mia Nulimaimaiti Kandy Wong,Mia Nulimaimaiti Canada’s status as the dominant supplier of canola to China appears to be under threat as shipments plunge amid a tit-for-tat tariff battle between the two nations. And Australia is already emerging as an alternative source of the staple vegetable oil, analysts and industry insiders say. China’s imports of canola from Canada fell by 55 per cent year on year to 173,250 tonnes in July – the lowest level recorded since July 2023 – Chinese customs data showed. The value of those shipments was down... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3322525/china-turns-away-canadian-canola-australia-emerges-alternative-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3322525/china-turns-away-canadian-canola-australia-emerges-alternative-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will testify at a US House panel hearing on Wednesday about countering China’s “economic coercion against democracies,” the committee said on Friday. Former US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will also testify before the House Select Committee on China. Relations with China, already rocky after Australia banned Huawei from its 5G broadband network in 2018, cooled further after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3318853/ex-australian-pm-morrison-address-chinas-economic-coercion-us-house-panel-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3318853/ex-australian-pm-morrison-address-chinas-economic-coercion-us-house-panel-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 09:35:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou A month after US President Donald Trump cancelled talks with Anthony Albanese, China rolled out the red carpet for the Australian leader this week. In Beijing, he had a two-hour meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Albanese’s fiancee, Jodie Haydon, joined the lunch that followed. He held separate talks with Premier Li Qiang, and they co-chaired a CEO round table attended by nearly 30 Chinese and Australian business executives. At the banquet hosted by Li that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318724/albaneses-china-trip-shows-stiffening-canberras-spine-face-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318724/albaneses-china-trip-shows-stiffening-canberras-spine-face-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:00:11 +0000 Sohail Akhtar Sohail Akhtar The significance of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s six-day visit to China cannot be overstated. It was not only his first visit to China after his re-election, but also the fourth meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bilateral ties had previously been marred by bitter trade disputes and mutual recriminations, which have improved since Albanese took office in 2022. While Albanese’s visit was a continuation of his efforts to strengthen ties with China and secure economic gains,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318603/australia-should-continue-engaging-china-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318603/australia-should-continue-engaging-china-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Ahead of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China, the Pentagon inexplicably demanded to know what Japan and Australia would do if a conflict broke out involving the United States over Taiwan. Was it diplomatic amateur hour or an attempt by the Americans to spoil a thaw under way between Beijing and Canberra? Whatever it was, Albanese didn’t take the bait. Canberra took the position that it was a hypothetical question and no serious security commitment could be made by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3318551/common-interests-basis-stronger-china-australia-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3318551/common-interests-basis-stronger-china-australia-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping. A major task on Albanese’s agenda, besides routine topics like trade, will be to explain his country’s stance on Chinese investment – in particular, addressing the controversy over the ownership and potential government-influenced sale of the Darwin Port – the Post has learned from sources with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3317184/australias-albanese-address-darwin-port-sale-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3317184/australias-albanese-address-darwin-port-sale-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 04:00:17 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to become the latest world leader to travel to Beijing for trade talks, as countries around the world scramble to navigate the turbulence unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. The Australian leader is expected to arrive in the Chinese capital in July or August, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Post on condition of anonymity, with the European Union also scheduled to hold a crunch summit with China during the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3313136/australias-albanese-meet-chinas-xi-beijing-summer-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3313136/australias-albanese-meet-chinas-xi-beijing-summer-source?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Protecting Australia from the “dark shadow” of a US-China trade war will be the first priority for Australia’s re-elected Labor government, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday after a resounding election victory for his centre-left party. Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, Australia’s first prime minister to win a second consecutive term in two decades, promised in remarks on Sunday that he would run a disciplined and orderly government, stressing that Australians had voted for unity. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3308996/albaneses-new-government-shield-australia-dark-shadow-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3308996/albaneses-new-government-shield-australia-dark-shadow-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2025 02:05:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years. Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat in Saturday’s election, saying, “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that.” “Earlier on, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. It’s an historic occasion for the Labor Party and we recognise that,” he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3308918/australians-head-polls-their-sights-trump-cost-living?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3308918/australians-head-polls-their-sights-trump-cost-living?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 22:48:22 +0000 On March 28, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia would head to the polls for a federal election in May. The long-awaited announcement set the stage for a closely contested race between his centre-left Labour Party and the conservative Liberal Party. But as the political battle lines were drawn, an unexpected development was unfolding offshore. A Chinese research vessel was spotted off the south coast of Australia. Strategic analysts raised alarm, while tabloid media stoked... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3306715/trumps-tariffs-sound-death-knell-us-australia-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3306715/trumps-tariffs-sound-death-knell-us-australia-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Australia plans to wrest control of a Chinese-owned port in the country’s north after a national election next month as concerns grow over a more assertive Chinese military presence. Opposition leader Peter Dutton will take immediate action to bring the Port of Darwin under Australian control or into a model that will give greater assurance about the operator within six months if elected, he said on Saturday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late on Friday made a similar commitment. The Northern... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3305321/australia-reclaim-strategic-darwin-port-chinese-ownership-amid-rising-security-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3305321/australia-reclaim-strategic-darwin-port-chinese-ownership-amid-rising-security-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 04:21:08 +0000 Australia’s remote outback in western Queensland has been swamped by flooding after being lashed with a year’s worth of rainfall in a week, sweeping away tens of thousands of livestock. Up to 500 millimetres (19.7 inches) of rain has flooded an area about the size of Texas over the past week, exceeding the annual rainfall average and triggering the worst floods in half a century in some areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. About 100,000 cattle and sheep are estimated to be dead or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3304749/australian-outback-swamped-years-rain-week-devastates-livestock-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3304749/australian-outback-swamped-years-rain-week-devastates-livestock-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:54:50 +0000 Australia will not impose reciprocal tariffs on the US, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump ruled out exemptions or exceptions for all countries on steel and aluminium tariffs. Trump said in February he would “give great consideration” to exempting Australia from the tariffs in view of the US annual trade surplus with the country, following a phone call with Albanese. However, on Tuesday the White House announced that the previously planned 25 per cent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3302022/trump-dashes-its-hopes-tariff-relief-australia-rejects-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3302022/trump-dashes-its-hopes-tariff-relief-australia-rejects-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:14:22 +0000 Australia’s gender pay gap has narrowed slightly but women are still paid nearly a fifth less than men, with the finance, mining and construction industries showing the biggest differences, a government report found. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency survey also showed that 72.2 per cent of employers had a gap favouring men while 21.3 per cent had a gap within the target range of +/-5 per cent. The rest had a gap that favoured women. The median pay gap for the year to March 2024 was 18.6 per... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3301180/australias-gender-pay-gap-narrows-women-still-paid-186-cent-less?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3301180/australias-gender-pay-gap-narrows-women-still-paid-186-cent-less?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 10:20:17 +0000 Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he would be travelling to Washington on Sunday as the US ally presses its case to be excluded from tariffs. The trip is of critical importance for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his centre-left government, which must hold an election within the next three months and has been trailing in recent polls. Albanese has been under intense pressure from local lawmakers and business executives to secure the exemptions, after painstaking negotiations during... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3299784/australia-pushes-tariff-exemptions-crucial-washington-visit-ahead-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3299784/australia-pushes-tariff-exemptions-crucial-washington-visit-ahead-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 02:54:27 +0000 Among the many crises contributing to the global “polycrisis”, it seems we have to add another: a worldwide collapse in wine production and consumption. Global wine consumption is at its lowest since 1996. In China, consumption has dropped by over 60 per cent in the past five years. For French wine drinkers, among the world’s biggest, consumption is more than 80 per cent lower than in 1945. The normally-sober Financial Times talked of red wine facing an “existential” fall. As Jean-Pierre Durand... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3294130/industry-crisis-wine-lovers-should-hold-their-panic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3294130/industry-crisis-wine-lovers-should-hold-their-panic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 08:30:09 +0000 China has fully lifted suspensions on Australian red meat, Canberra said on Tuesday, dismantling one of the final barriers in a four-year trade war that hammered US$13 billion of exports. A slew of Australia’s most lucrative export commodities were effectively banned from China starting in 2020, as relations between the two nations started to fray. But China has been gradually unwinding these barriers as Australia steps up efforts to mend ties on the diplomatic front. Red meat and lobster were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3289167/china-australia-relations-beijing-lifts-red-meat-ban-canberra-relations-improve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3289167/china-australia-relations-beijing-lifts-red-meat-ban-canberra-relations-improve?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 09:35:08 +0000 Australia’s avocado trade association signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s trade body at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Wednesday, signifying an advancement for the superfood to obtain access to the Chinese market. The agreement between Avocados Australia and the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products will seek to enhance cooperation and technological exchanges. Avocados Australia chair Matthew Kleyn said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3285418/china-australia-sign-avocado-agreement-shanghai-expo-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3285418/china-australia-sign-avocado-agreement-shanghai-expo-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:30:25 +0000 Mia Castagnone Mia Castagnone Australia brought more than 250 companies to the world’s largest trade expo this year in China, its largest delegation ever, as relations between the two countries improve thanks in part to visa-free travel. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai kicked off on Tuesday. The six-day event is intended to highlight the strength of China’s ties with its trading partners. Almost 70 per cent of the businesses in Australia’s contingent are food and beverage companies, including providers... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3285268/australia-sends-largest-ever-delegation-china-international-import-expo-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3285268/australia-sends-largest-ever-delegation-china-international-import-expo-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:12:13 +0000 A thawing of relations between Beijing and Canberra saw the value of Australia’s bottled wine exports to China climb rapidly in the first nine months of this year – bouncing back from near extinction in January, when import volume totalled just one litre – while those from major European competitors dropped due to shipping problems. The value of China’s imports of Australian bottled wine last month was 2,952 times more than in September last year, before the removal of punitive tariffs, with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3283910/removal-chinese-tariffs-sees-imports-australian-wine-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3283910/removal-chinese-tariffs-sees-imports-australian-wine-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 23:00:11 +0000 Lobsters shed their shells and form new ones as they mature, a process which seems a good metaphor for the recent settling of a trade dispute that had taken Australian lobsters off the menu for mainland diners. Hopefully, there is now room for healthier bilateral ties after the end of an unofficial import ban on the Australian seafood that was in place for more than three years. The deal emerged on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Laos, when Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3282354/lobsters-deal-whets-appetite-better-china-australia-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3282354/lobsters-deal-whets-appetite-better-china-australia-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 17:04:29 +0000 Australia’s reliance on natural resources to fuel its growth may be nearing a breaking point as a shifting global economy exposes the country’s failure to reinvest its mineral wealth into long-term prosperity, leaving average citizens worse off now than 10 years ago. “Yes, we charge company tax and levy royalties for minerals, but we have been very generous to [resource extraction] companies,” Greg Jericho, chief economist at the Australia Institute, told This Week in Asia. “[But] we have very... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3281990/australias-failure-reinvest-mineral-wealth-long-term-growth-exposed-amid-shifting-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3281990/australias-failure-reinvest-mineral-wealth-long-term-growth-exposed-amid-shifting-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2024 03:00:20 +0000 Australian businesses welcomed the removal of China’s trade impediments on its live lobsters, which are set to be dropped after more than three years following a meeting between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday. The unofficial import ban will be lifted by the end of the year, and a timeline regarding the resumption of full lobster trade was also agreed by Albanese on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Laos. China had been a vital market for Australian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3281864/china-end-australian-lobster-ban-end-year-huge-relief-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3281864/china-end-australian-lobster-ban-end-year-huge-relief-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 09:00:35 +0000 Australia would continue to push ahead with its trade diversification despite warming ties between Beijing and Canberra, analysts said, with other options in the region gearing up to become competitive, even though no single market could replace China. China has been Australia’s largest trading partner since 2009, but the relationship turned sour in 2020, resulting in various trade bans and curbs. Ties have improved since last year, highlighted by a two-day trip to Beijing by Australian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3281092/australia-eyes-lands-opportunity-amid-trade-diversification-despite-warming-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3281092/australia-eyes-lands-opportunity-amid-trade-diversification-despite-warming-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Oct 2024 04:30:07 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Homebuyers are flocking back to capital cities, reversing the so-called “sea change” or “tree change” trend during the Covid-19 pandemic, when homes in areas close to nature were the most sought after, according to analysts. That shift has become evident in metropolises across the UK and Australia, as well as in compact cities like Singapore and Hong Kong, where home demand in core areas are outperforming those on the fringes. “There was certainly a shift away from cities and urban centres …... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3276643/homebuyers-flock-city-centres-pandemic-induced-demand-flats-close-nature-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3276643/homebuyers-flock-city-centres-pandemic-induced-demand-flats-close-nature-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Sep 2024 03:30:13 +0000 Australia said on Tuesday it would limit the enrolment number of international students at 270,000 for 2025, as the government looks to rein in record migration that has contributed to a spike in home rental prices. The decision follows a raft of actions since last year to end Covid-era concessions for foreign students and workers in Australia that helped businesses recruit staff locally while strict border controls kept overseas workers out. “There’s about 10 per cent more international... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3276093/australia-cap-foreign-student-numbers-migration-crackdown-ease-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/australasia/article/3276093/australia-cap-foreign-student-numbers-migration-crackdown-ease-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:00:11 +0000 US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell didn’t spring any surprises on financial markets when he delivered a much-anticipated speech at the Kansas City Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 23. However, his affirmation that “the time has come for policy to adjust” was the strongest hint yet from the world’s most influential central bank that cuts in interest rates are imminent. While other major central banks, including the European Central Bank, have already begun to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3275873/south-korea-australia-show-rate-cuts-are-no-cure-all-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3275873/south-korea-australia-show-rate-cuts-are-no-cure-all-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 08:30:11 +0000 Amid growing fearmongering around refugees, Australia’s Malaysian-born Foreign Minister Penny Wong shared how her own rise once seemed “as fantastic as fiction” in a speech urging more diverse leadership and announcing new initiatives to strengthen her country’s ties with Asia. Wong, who is usually reticent to speak about personal experiences, gave a candid account about dealing with racism as a child when she delivered the inaugural lecture on Monday at the Centre for Asian-Australian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3275226/fantastic-fiction-penny-wongs-becoming-australias-top-diplomat-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3275226/fantastic-fiction-penny-wongs-becoming-australias-top-diplomat-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:58:11 +0000 In many countries, the affordability of housing is at the top of the political agenda. While views differ on whether supply-side factors are more important than demand-side ones, there is broad agreement that zoning and planning laws which restrict supply make housing more expensive. While this is a boon for homeowners, it imposes a huge burden on renters and those struggling to get on the property ladder. The failure to build enough homes was a big issue in the recent parliamentary election... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3270447/why-japan-envy-australias-desperate-housing-planners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3270447/why-japan-envy-australias-desperate-housing-planners?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2024 07:30:08 +0000 China fortified its partnerships from trade to academic collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region during Premier Li Qiang’s recent visits to New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, with attention centring around exchanges between Beijing and Canberra. Unlike New Zealand and Malaysia that employ a relatively mild approach towards China, Australia – as a more vocal member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance with Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the US – is seeking to strike a balance between... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3267836/premier-li-qiang-pushes-chinas-trade-academic-agenda-during-asia-pacific-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3267836/premier-li-qiang-pushes-chinas-trade-academic-agenda-during-asia-pacific-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:30:21 +0000 Premier Li Qiang has wrapped up a three-nation tour in Malaysia, which wants to deepen ties without taking sides between China and the United States. The visit celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. This followed stops by Li in New Zealand and Australia, where the focus was partly on managing differences, especially with the latter. Li’s visit to Australia was the first by a Chinese premier since bilateral relations soured in 2017. Repairs that began with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3267425/li-qiangs-three-nation-tour-repair-and-deepen-china-ties-has-positive-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3267425/li-qiangs-three-nation-tour-repair-and-deepen-china-ties-has-positive-results?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:20:40 +0000 Rebecca Li, 24, who hails from China’s Shandong Province, is one of an estimated 8.2 million foreign-born residents of Australia who wield significant influence on the country’s high-flying property market. But that dynamic is beginning to shift as agents warn that Canberra’s withdrawal of a golden visa scheme and plans to cap its migrant and foreign student intake are likely to impact home sales, particularly in the high-end segment. The timing could not be worse for property owners, especially... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3266656/australias-tighter-immigration-policy-poses-risk-luxury-home-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3266656/australias-tighter-immigration-policy-poses-risk-luxury-home-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 02:00:15 +0000 Premier Li Qiang has said Australia and China must look for common ground despite their differences at the start of a visit where trade will feature prominently on the agenda. Li arrived in Adelaide on Saturday after a three-day trip to New Zealand and before a stopover in Malaysia. He was greeted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas and Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian. “China-Australia exchanges have a long history and the friendship between the two peoples... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266756/chinese-premier-li-qiang-tells-australia-lets-try-set-aside-our-differences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266756/chinese-premier-li-qiang-tells-australia-lets-try-set-aside-our-differences?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 11:13:56 +0000