SIIS and Lowy Institute Co-Host "2025 Track 2 Dialogue: Review of China-Australia Relations"

2025/04/10

On April 9, 2025, the 2025 Track 2 Dialogue, co-hosted by the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and the Lowy Institute, was successfully held in Shanghai. The dialogue, themed "Assessment and Prospects of China-Australia Relations," brought together prominent experts and scholars from both China and Australia to engage in in-depth discussions on bilateral relations, regional security dynamics, and economic and trade cooperation. 

The opening ceremony was moderated by Prof. Li Kaisheng, Vice President of SIIS.

Prof. Chen Dongxiao, President of SIIS, and Mr. Michael Fullilove, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, delivered opening remarks.

In his speech, Prof. Chen emphasized that amidst the rapidly changing international landscape, addressing uncertainties in the global political and economic order is a shared concern for think tank scholars. He noted that close exchanges and candid dialogue between Chinese and Australian scholars are timely and essential.

Mr. Fullilove stated that stable, positive, and cooperative Australia-China relations serve the interests of both nations, underscoring the significant role of think tank exchanges in advancing bilateral ties.

Following the opening, participants engaged in comprehensive discussions across several key topics, including the assessment and outlook of China-Australia relations, shifts in U.S. foreign security policy and China’s response, China-US trade and innovation policies, and the assessment and outlook of the situation in Southeast Asia.

The closing ceremony was chaired by Dr. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao Studies at SIIS. Michael Fullilove, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, and Yang Jiemian, Chairman of the Academic Advisory Committee at SIIS, delivered closing remarks, summarizing the day’s discussions and highlighting the importance of Track 2 dialogues in fostering mutual trust and cooperation between China and Australia.

 

On the afternoon of April 8, Tang Zhiwen, Deputy Director-General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with the delegates attending the dialogue in Shanghai. John Williams, the Australian Consul-General in Shanghai, also participated in the meeting.

 

This dialogue marks another significant academic exchange following the 2023 Sydney Dialogue, providing valuable insights to promote the healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations.