On May 22, Ambassador Xiao Qian met with Administrator of the Northern Territory Hon. Hugh Heggie at the Government House in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. 

Ambassador Xiao stated that over the past two years, through the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations have continued to improve and develop. High-level exchanges have been frequent, dialogue mechanisms across various fields have been resumed, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Subnational engagement plays an important role in advancing practical cooperation between the two countries. China is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Northern Territory government and further explore new areas of cooperation in green energy, climate change, artificial intelligence, healthcare and other fields.

Administrator Hon. Heggie noted that Chinese immigrants arrived in the Northern Territory as early as the late 19th century and have made significant contributions to the region’s socioeconomic development. China is an important source of international students for the Northern Territory, with an increasing number of Chinese students choosing to study at Charles Darwin University. He added that Chinese civilization is profound and offers valuable lessons for other countries. The Northern Territory looks forward to continuing to strengthen exchanges with China and hopes to expand mutually beneficial cooperation.