From September 17 to 18, Nicholas Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia, led a government and business delegation on his inaugural official visit to Chengdu. This visit aims to establish a robust foundation for cooperation across multiple sectors between Chengdu and Melbourne over the next three years through signing a letter of intent for cooperation, field visits, special matchmaking activities, and other events.

 

The visiting delegation, the largest and most prestigious one from Melbourne in recent years, consisted of 26 members, including Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, three councillors—Kevin Louey, Gladys Liu, and Philip Le Liu—and representatives from the government, business council, education, green economy, health, and other key areas.

 

During their stay in Chengdu, the delegation visited Chengdu Polytechnic, CATL’s NING Space (new energy experience center), Chengdu Frontier Medical Center, Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town, Cochlear Limited of Australia, Luxelakes Eco-City, and other sites, where they gained comprehensive insights into Chengdu’s achievements in urban development through its joint promotion of vocational education, strategies for new energy sectors, biomedical R&D, and park city development.

 

 

To facilitate cooperation, the two cities jointly hosted a green economy matchmaking session, where a delegation of Melbourne’s green economy enterprises (including Denton Corker Marshall, EnyGy, and Boman Group) engaged with Chengdu Better City Investment Group, Chengdu Design Consulting Group, Sichuan Nato New Material Technology Co., Ltd., and other local enterprises. The session not only established a bridge for resource sharing and project matchmaking between Chengdu and Melbourne enterprises, but also saw enterprises reach agreements on green technology R&D, low-carbon industry cooperation, and other areas.

 

 

During their visit to NING Space, CATL’s first offline experience center in the world, the delegation learned about the development of frontier power battery technology, future-oriented application scenarios, and Choco-Swap stations. After experiencing various types of new energy vehicles equipped with CATL’s batteries, they marveled at China’s achievements in green and low-carbon development.

 

 

Subsequently, the delegation visited Luxelakes Eco-City, particularly the residential buildings designed by a Melbourne-based architectural practice, and witnessed the seamless integration of Melbourne’s green building concepts with Chengdu’s development of the “park city” and low-carbon communities. Representatives from both cities exchanged their experience in urban development and governance, offering insights into the promotion of sustainable development.

 

Ben McMahon, Director of McMahon Property Group, remarked: “I would describe Chengdu with three words—friendly, green, and future-oriented. Chengdu’s abundant green spaces truly stand out, and we have witnessed its efforts and innovations in green economy. As one of ‘futuristic’ cities in China, Chengdu embodies a beautiful balance, where food, scenery, profound cultural heritage, and a spirit of innovation converge.”

 

 

As representatives of the biomedical sector, a delegation of Melbourne’s biomedical enterprises (including Adjutor Healthcare Group, Nucleus Network, 360BioLabs, and Acclime) visited Chengdu Frontier Medical Center, Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town, and enterprises within the Bio-Town. The two cities jointly hosted a biomedical matchmaking session, where Melbourne-based biomedical enterprises engaged with representatives from local medical institutions, including the Clinical Trial Center of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Kanghong Pharmaceutical, Real and Best, and Hinova. Representatives from the City of Melbourne, Austrade Chengdu, Chengdu municipal bodies, Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town Administrative Committee, and other agencies attended the event.

 

 

Following the session, the delegation visited Cochlear Limited’s first overseas whole-of-chain manufacturing base—Chengdu Hearing Hub. They watched the manufacturing line for cochlear implant products and gained deeper insights into the remarkable achievements of the “Australian Invention + Chinese Smart Manufacturing” cooperation model. Looking ahead, both sides will explore more opportunities for cooperation in the biomedical field, such as jointly conducting clinical trials, developing cutting-edge technologies and innovative drugs, and advancing medical device manufacturing. Both sides will work together to contribute to human health and ensure that the fruits of friendship city cooperation genuinely benefit the people.

 

 

Regarding talent training and educational cooperation, Chengdu and Melbourne jointly hosted a vocational education symposium. Melbourne representatives from the College of Vocational Education of RMIT University, Box Hill Institute, and Aide Education, along with representatives from Chengdu Polytechnic, Chengdu Vocational and Technical College of Industry, Sichuan College of Architectural Technology, Sichuan Vocational College of Finance and Economics, and other high-quality vocational education institutions in Chengdu, gathered together to hold in-depth discussions on advancing the high-quality development of vocational education.

 

 

Both sides exchanged views and explored pathways in key areas, including establishing student academic advancement channels, implementing cross-institutional credit recognition and transfer systems, facilitating faculty and student mutual exchange programs, innovating joint educational models, and establishing regular communication mechanisms. Their discussions lay a solid foundation for international cooperation in vocational education.

 

 

“What impressed me the most was the genuine smiles of students and the meaningful interactions between teachers and learners. Education ultimately aims to improve lives and create a better world for future generations.” Nicholas Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, noted that both Chengdu and Melbourne attach great importance to vocational skill training and faculty development, and therefore share vast potential for educational cooperation: “In the future, we will jointly advance skill enhancement programs and work together to establish a globalized skill training system.”

 

 

In terms of culture, sports, and tourism, the delegation visited Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and learned about Chengdu’s achievements in animal conservation. Through a night cruise on Jinjiang River, they immersed themselves in Chengdu’s unique charm, which blends profound historical heritage with modern urban vitality. Following their tour, the delegation visited Australian Open sponsor Luzhou Laojiao to further promote tennis event partnerships.

 

 

During their stay in Chengdu, Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece and Consul General of Australia in Chengdu Meaghan Shaw witnessed the signing of memoranda of cooperation between Zhu Guang Yu Hot Pot and Holder East, as well as Sichuan Tourism University and Australia Chinese Cuisine Association. Their cooperation will introduce the diverse culinary culture of Chengdu, UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy, to Melbourne residents.

 

 

Looking ahead, Chengdu and Melbourne will leverage this visit to enhance interactions in various areas, such as educational exchanges, industrial collaboration, ecological cooperation, and cultural tourism integration. Together, the two cities will let the tree of China-Australia friendship grow even taller and more flourishing.

 

Edited by Zhang Yuanlin

Source: Chengdu Discovery