Good morning, everyone.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
Thank you for the opportunity to join you this morning for this Australia-China Breakfast Forum on Football and Trade. We are meeting just ahead of the FIFA Series, which brings together Australia, China, Cameroon and Curacao, and delivers on football's promise of international engagement here in Australia.
Football is the world's game. It is played in every corner of the globe, understood across languages and has the unique ability to bring people together in shared moments of excitement, pride and celebration.
But football is more than a sport. It is also a bridge - connecting people, economies, institutions and ideas.
And that is very much the theme of this morning – football as a bridge for economic partnership between Australia and China.
Over the past several weeks, we have seen a veritable festival of football between our two countries. We have of course seen the marvellous AFC Women's Asia Cup. Let me of course congratulate Japan on its victory. But let me also delight in the strong performance of the Matildas who made the final. And of the Steel Roses from China, with whom the Matildas played an epic semi-final.
The AFC Women's Asia Cup proved just how powerful football can be. More than 35 thousand people filled the Perth Stadium in the semi-final, and more than 70 thousand people filled the Accor Stadium in Sydney for the final.
And right now, we also have the Men's FIFA Series and the Australia-China Friendship Series, with the Young Socceroos currently in Yiwu, China.
These exchanges are not only about sport. They are about relationships, trust and engagement – the foundations of any strong economic partnership.
Australia's relationship with China is complex, important and deeply interconnected economically.
We continue to work patiently and deliberately towards a stable and constructive relationship with China, in Australia's national interest.
China is Australia's largest trading partner and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Total two-way goods and services trade between Australia and China was valued at over $300 billion in 2024, representing around a quarter of Australia's total trade.
We want to continue to grow this economic relationship in a risk-informed way. Sustained engagement has helped stabilise the relationship, without compromising Australia's interests or values.
Both countries have recognised that people-to-people links – including sport – are an important part of this relationship. Sport provides a practical, positive and forward-looking way for our countries to engage.
And football, in particular, is uniquely placed to play this role.
Football is not just a sport – it is an ecosystem. It brings together broadcasters, sponsors, technology companies, sports scientists, universities, venues, tourism operators and digital platforms. When Australian and Chinese stakeholders collaborate through football - whether via leagues, clubs, tournaments, or development programs - they are activating value chains that extend far beyond the pitch.
We are already seeing this in practice. Australian coaches are working in Chinese professional clubs and national teams. Chinese players are playing in the Women's and Men's A League. Club-to-club relationships and football academies are enabling exchanges in coaching, sports science and high-performance systems.
These collaborations generate commercial opportunities, build professional networks – and perhaps most importantly – create long-term institutional relationships and trust.
Education is another important part of this story. Australian universities and training institutions have world-class capabilities in sports management, physiotherapy, data analytics, and high-performance coaching. Partnerships between Australian institutions and Chinese football organisations allow knowledge, skills and innovation to flow in both directions.
This is where football intersects with innovation and the future economy. Modern football is not only played in the field – it is also played through data, broadcasting, digital engagement, gaming and fan technology. These are areas where Australian and Chinese companies, start-ups and research institutions have real opportunities to collaborate.
Major sporting events also drive tourism, investment and global visibility. They showcase destinations, infrastructure, services and capabilities. In that sense, football – is also a platform for trade promotion, investment attraction and national branding.
At the community level, football plays an equally important role. Youth exchanges, grassroots programs, and coach development initiatives bring young Australians and Chinese together, building cultural literacy and lifelong connections. Our Young Socceroos currently in China are experiencing exactly this - representing Australia, learning about China and building friendships that may last decades.
Sport also provides a form of engagement that can continue regardless of broader circumstances. Friendly matches, joint exchanges and development programs create positive momentum and maintain communication channels. In that way, football contributes to stability in the broader relationship. Who can forget that beautiful moment last Tuesday when former Canberra United teammates, Australia's Michelle Heyman and China's Wu Chengshu swapped jerseys after the Asia Cup Semifinal.
Broadcast and increased digital coverage of the game give us all sideline seats to these exciting moments.
Looking ahead, we see significant opportunities for Australia and China to continue working together through sport – through high-performance systems, sports technology, integrity and governance, major events, education and training, and tourism and services.
As Australia enters what we call the green and gold decade - with a series of major international sporting events leading up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games - these opportunities will only grow.
Football, as the world's most global game, will continue to play an important role - not only bringing fans together, but also bringing businesses, institutions and countries closer together.
So when we talk about football as a bridge, we are really talking about something much bigger.
A bridge between people, a bridge between economies, a bridge between cultures – and a bridge towards future cooperation.
There is much to look forward to in the Australia-China relationship and sport - particularly football - will continue to be an important part of that story.
Thank you.