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TRANSCRIPT
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President’s Report
Another month of interesting and enjoyable events! Shen Jiawei's fabulous 30m long monumental mural depicting over 400 people - China 1936-1937: Years of Change - at the Seymour Centre, attracted a huge crowd. It was an absolute delight for me to have a chat with our Patron, Professor Dame Marie Bashir, who was opening the exhibition, and a wonderful coincidence when Mirabel Fitzgerald came up to us. Mirabel is the daughter of the late Professor C.P.Fitzgerald, who founded the Australia-China Society (later changed to ACFS) in Melbourne in 1951. Some members will remember Mirabel giving us a talk about her father at one of our meetings a few years ago. As you all know, my father Luther Yung was an early NSW president of the ACFS in the 1950s, so an iconic photo of us three is in this bulletin. ACFS members and I also met the Chinese Consul-General Mr Li Huaxin, who also spoke at the exhibition. Thanks to all who attended our Annual General Meeting. My President's Report and Lesley Heath's Secretary's Report are printed in this bulletin. The only motion passed which concerns members is that only Centrelink pension/student card holders will be able to be Concession members. As you would all be aware, we are dipping into our reserve monies to run the Society so I hope the adult single membership fee of $30 will be embraced by our members. Our November lunch meeting was most enjoyable with Bruce Venables giving us an insightful and amusing account of 1970s life in Hong Kong. His book 'Scattered Monkeys' is a great read and can be borrowed from our ACFS Library. Thanks to Bruce for coming down to Sydney from the Central Coast and Random House Jess Malpass for organizing it. Some of us were lucky to see the Confucius dance drama at the State Theatre. The dancing, choreography, sumptuous outfits and sets were superb and the audience was agog at the ballet and acrobatic skills of the gorgeous women and men in the cast. The Week of Chinese Culture in November in Sydney included a golf day and congratulations to our Lesley Heath for winning a trophy!
The Balmain Watch House exhibition of art works by the Wednesday Drawing and Painting Group was a great success. Congratulations to ACFS members who exhibited - see photo in this bulletin. Thanks to all our loyal members who have booked to attend our 2014 Christmas Party lunch on the 10th December. It will be a very special event as we have invited some lovely VIPs to join us. See you there!
To all members, our best wishes for a wonderful and joyous Christmas, and a very happy and healthy 2015.
Margaret Yung Kelly President December 2014 Welcome to new member Lulu Wang 2015 TOURS: Lesley Heath is planning a second tour to Myanmar for December 2015. The tour will include Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay but go further north and south than the classic tour. Watch This Space!
2014 Australia-China International Golf Tournament was one of
the sponsored events of the festival. A great day was had at
Macquarie Links Golf Club. The combination of a great golf course,
excellent food and interesting cultural entertainment made for a
very successful event! Lesley Heath receiving the Trophy!
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Dates for your Diary:
ACFS Regular Activities
Qigong: Every Wednesday, 10am, Ultimo Community Centre, exercise class $10. Call Miranda Ho on 0402 918 383
Mandarin: Every Tuesday. Speaking/Listening class 9.15am-10.15am and General Language class 10.30am-12noon in our ACFS
Rooms. $12 for one class or $17 for both. Contact Mark Seeto, ph. 0417 691 988 or email [email protected]
Free Talk: Daily Health Preservation in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Time: 3pm – 5pm
Date: Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Venue: China Cultural Centre in Sydney, Level 1, 151 Castlereagh Street,
Sydney
Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient and profound hiding art. Ancient Chinese doctors discovered that human body, mind
and spirit were integrally connected and can be affected by external environment as early as
3000 years ago. The 2hour talk will unveil the mask of TCM with focus on its application on our general well-
being and fitness. Audience will be shown methods of preventing and curing diseases and improving conditions through the most
natural ways and organic recipes.
Invited speakers, Mr Wang Qinghai, Deputy President of Guangdong No2 Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Mr Qin Min,
Chief Physician, are experienced doctors who have been practicing traditional Chinese medicine for manyyears. They will be delive
ring the talk and conducting a 30minute Q&A session.
Please be kindly reminded that reservation is essential via [email protected] or 02-82283050
ACFS Committee for 2015 (three not present)
The ACFS Bulletin is kindly sponsored by:
Ph: 1300 764 224; email: [email protected]
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Xi Jinping: Open up a More Splendid New Chapter In
China-Australia Relations 2014/11/14
On November 14, 2014, a signed article titled “Open
up a More Splendid New Chapter In China-Australia
Relations” by Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People's
Republic of China, was published in Australian
newspaper The Financial Review. The full text is as
follows:
The magnificent land of Australia has attracted world-
wide attention with its exotic charming landscape,
dynamic economy, vibrant people and diversified
culture.
I have visited Australia four times since 1988. Each
time left me with a new understanding of the country
and a deep impression of the profound friendship
between the Chinese and Australian people. I look
forward to my fifth trip to this land during which I will
pay a state visit to Australia and attend the Ninth G20
Summit in Brisbane.
As a Chinese saying goes, "Even mountains and seas
cannot distance people with common aspirations."
Despite the geographical distance between us, China
and Australia have been closely linked by history and
reality. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations
42 years ago, our relations have traversed an
extraordinary journey, making us good friends and
strategic partners and bringing real benefits to our
two peoples.
China and Australia have maintained close contacts at
both the top and other levels and deepened mutual
trust. We have established over 30 inter-
governmental consultation mechanisms, including the
annual meeting between our prime ministers, the
foreign and strategic dialogue and strategic economic
dialogue. There have been active exchanges between
our legislatures, political parties and militaries, and
we have maintained good communication and
coordination on multilateral issues.
China and Australia have achieved fruitful results in
practical business cooperation and deepened
converging interests. Bilateral trade has expanded
1,500-fold in the past 42 years. China is now
Australia's largest trading partner, export market and
source of imports. For every 100 tonnes of iron ore
imported to China, 54 tonnes come from Australia.
For every three AU dollars Australia earns from
export, one dollar comes from China. Export to China
has increased Australia's household income by over
13,400 AU dollars each year on average, enough to
buy each household a new car a year. Meanwhile, the
premium dairy, meat and wine products of Australia
are increasingly served at the dining tables of Chinese
households.
China and Australia have engaged in vibrant people-
to-people exchanges and deepened bilateral
friendship. The two countries have successfully held in
each other's side the year of culture, which has
fostered growing "Australia zeal" in China and "China
zeal" in Australia. China is the largest source of tourist
receipts for Australia while Australia is the second
largest destination of outbound Chinese students. In
2013 the mutual visits between our two countries
exceeded 1.5 million, and more than 200,000 Chinese
students are studying in Australia.
The growing China-Australia relations have offered us
many widely told stories. The Australian eye specialist
Peter Gramham, known as a "Lightbringer" visited
China in 1991, during which he performed operations
for several patients with eye disease and restored
their eye sight. In 2009 and 2013 when Victoria and
New South Wales of Australia were hit by severe bush
fires, the Chinese side lent a helping hand by
providing prompt satellite data about the fires. It is
with these heartwarming notes our people have
struck in their exchanges that we have composed a
splendid movement about China-Australia friendship.
As an ancient Chinese philosopher wrote, "A tree has
to strike a firm root before it can flourish. A river has
to have a fully dredged source before it can flow
unceasingly far." The most important reason that
China and Australia, an Eastern culture in the
Northern Hemisphere and a Western culture in the
Southern, have been able to bring bilateral relations
to the current height is that they have followed the
principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual
benefit, and promoted mutual trust through dialogue,
sought win-win progress through cooperation and
cemented friendship through exchanges. This is
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proven to be the right path for the development of
China-Australia relations, which has withstood the
test of history and won the support of the people. It is
therefore important that we choose the right path
forward and stick to it unswervingly as we move
ahead.
At the current stage, China is comprehensively
deepening reform and opening-up, promoting rule of
law on all fronts and making relentless efforts to
achieve the "two centenary goals" (i.e. doubling our
GDP and per capita urban and rural income of 2010
and completing the building of a moderately
prosperous society in all aspects by 2020, and turning
China into a harmonious modern socialist country that
is strong, prosperous, democratic and culturally
advanced by the middle of the century) and the
Chinese dream of great renewal of the Chinese
nation. Likewise, Australia is speeding up economic
restructuring and industrial upgrading to build a
stronger and more prosperous country. On
international and regional issues, our two countries
have increasingly broader common ground and
common understanding. Suffice it to say that with
strong internal strength for growth, great strategic
significance and a solid foundation, China-Australia
cooperation will enjoy an even brighter prospect.
I look forward to having an in-depth exchange of
views with the Australian leaders and friends of all
sectors during my forthcoming visit, to further tap
into our cooperation potential, deepen friendship and
jointly write a more splendid new chapter in China-
Australia relations.
We need to enhance mutual understanding to
reinforce the bond of mutual trust. To enhance
mutual trust, we must live in harmony without
seeking uniformity and pursue common ground while
reserving differences, thus setting a good example of
peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation
between countries of different cultural traditions,
political systems and stages of development.
We need to deepen practical cooperation to reinforce
the bond of common interests. While striving to break
new grounds in our traditional areas of cooperation
like energy and resources, we should work to create
new stimulus of growth in bilateral cooperation in
finance, infrastructure development, agriculture and
animal husbandry by bringing into full play our
economic complementarity. This way, we can better
facilitate our respective effort to grow economy and
improve people's livelihood.
We need to encourage people-to-people exchanges to
reinforce the cultural bond between our people. It is
important to expand exchanges and cooperation in
education, culture, tourism and between the youth,
and tell the China story and Australia story well so
that the China-Australia friendship will take root deep
in the hearts of our people.
We need to step up strategic communication to
reinforce the bond of multilateral cooperation. The
Chinese side stands ready to work with the Australian
side to strengthen communication and coordination
in international and regional mechanisms, and deal
with traditional and non-traditional security issues of
all kinds to jointly safeguard and promote peace and
prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
An important agenda item for my visit to Australia is
to attend the Ninth G20 Summit in Brisbane.
Like Australia, China has also been in the international
spotlight this November, as we have hosted the 22nd
APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. China will work in
concert with Australia and other APEC member
economies to discuss ways to "Shape the Future
Through Asia-Pacific Partnership", the theme of the
Meeting, and achieve positive outcomes in pushing
forward regional economic integration, promoting
innovative development, economic reform and
growth, and strengthening infrastructure and
connectivity building in all aspects.
I look forward to building on the good momentum of
cooperation between China and Australia, and
working with Prime Minster Tony Abbott and leaders
of other G20 member countries to formulate a
comprehensive G20 growth strategy, develop new
areas of growth through economic reform,
investment in infrastructure and building an open
world economy, to promote strong, sustainable and
balanced growth of the world economy.
Bathing in the pervasive sunshine in the Southern
Hemisphere of November, the Australian continent is
brimming with vigor and vitality. China-Australia
friendship and cooperation has embarked on a new
journey. So long as we work hand-in-hand and
redouble our efforts, our relations will surely embrace
an even brighter future!
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With artists Liwana Chan, Geoff Murphy, Toni FitzPatrick
and Samuel Chan at the Balmain Watch House Exhibition
At Shen Jiawei’s exhibition at the Seymore Centre with Mirabel Fitzgerald and Dame Marie Bashir
Bruce Venables with Jess Malpass (above)
And with members at November lunchtime
meeting (right)
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President's Report to ACFS 2014 AGM
We finished last year with a great Christmas Party lunch
attended by 60 people, with a raffle and fun auction
which raised over $400, much needed for the Society.
We hope our 2014 Christmas party on 10th December
will be just as successful and enjoyable.
What a wonderful year this has been for the Society - full
of interesting and enjoyable events.
Our sincere thanks to our excellent guest speakers in
2014:
Marilyn Dooley on 'The Ying & Yang of the Horse'
Jana Mader on 'Teaching & Travelling in China'
Miranda Ho on 'Gongfu Tea Ceremony'
Patricia Curtis, Lesley Heath & Peter Weitzel on
'Myanmar - The Golden Land'
Boyd Anderson on his book 'The Heart Radical'
Lydia Shamshurin-Fegan on 'The Trans-Siberian Railway
across Manchuria in the early 1920s or ‘How My Father
became a Driver for a Chinese Opium Warlord'
John Hunt on his book 'Suffering through Strength' - The
Chinese Contribution to Christmas Island
Dr Richard Wu on his 'Tour of Art & Architecture in
Beijing'
Oola Anderson on her family history 'Kapitan China's
Daughter'
Simon Chan on his Life's Journey
and Bruce Venables will be our 11th November guest
speaker on his book 'Scattered Monkeys.
Our lunch-time excursions have included visits to:
'The Connoisseur and the Philanthropist' - 30 years of
the Sternberg Collection of Chinese Art at the NSW Art
Gallery
Miss Fisher's Costumes and Furniture Exhibition at Old
Government House, Parramatta
'Celestial City' Exhibition at the Museum of Sydney
Australian Chinese Painting Society Annual Exhibition at
Meadowbank
‘The COMMUNE’ Exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery
Activities included attending other events organized by
Art Atrium, Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Museum,
ACPPRC, ACCA, ACPS, CHAA, CAHS, CWAA, DFAT, China
Studies Centre, Confucius Institute at University of
Sydney and UNSW,
Some highlights were;
We welcomed a delegation from the Shanghai People's
Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries;
Georgina Black and I attended a State Reception at
Government House to welcome the Governor of
Guangdong Province; Georgina Black, Peng Tow and I
were invited to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the
Founding of the People's Republic of China at the
Chinese Consulate in Sydney; the PRC Consul-General
held a special dinner for the ACFS Committee;
members attended the fabulous Opera House Farewell
Musical Tribute concert in honour of the retiring
Governor of New South Wales HE Professor the
Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO; and only a
few days ago ACFS members were present at the
Seymour Centre opening of Shen Jiawei's fantastic
exhibition of his 30m long monumental mural 'China
1936-1937, Years of Change'.
We are very grateful to China Travel Service for
sponsoring the printing of our Bulletins this year, and
special thanks to Managing Director, Mr Jian Sun, who
has agreed to continue the sponsorship for 2015. Our
ACFS Tours are excellent value for money and the
friendliest around:.The number of members who join
our tours regularly is testament to this. Our Morocco-
Sicily Tour in April was a resounding success and we look
forward to our 2015 tours -' Essence of North India' is set
to depart with 16 participants in January, and a tour to
Myanmar is planned for December. We are also
researching a Cruise holiday for those who want to relax
and party with friends. Thanks to Amy Rae of CTS for
organizing our ACFS tours so efficiently and so
pleasantly. Thanks to all our members who support our
tours as it helps us run the Society.
Talking of running the Society brings me to a very
important part of my report - my sincerest thanks go to
the 2014 Committee for their great support and hard
work: Vice-President Georgina Black who as Editor of
the Bulletin essentially keeps our hundreds of members
aware of what the Society is doing, Vice-President Peng
Tow for his links with Beijing and Shanghai Youxie, our
counterparts in China; Peng and Peter Weitzel for
helping with the setting up of equipment for our guest
speakers; Assistant Secretary Mailis Wakeham for
helping with tea/biscuits and running up and down to let
members enter the building for our general meetings;
Secretary Lesley Heath for her excellent skills in
undertaking such a time-consuming and heavy
workload; Treasurer Christine Wong for looking after our
finances, updating our membership data base and
printing the labels for the Bulletins, Sue Allen for
maintaining our ACFS NSW website, Fay Briggs for
helping with banking etc.; Miranda Ho for teaching the
Qigong Exercise Class, Patricia Curtis, Laurel Dyson, Gina
Kelly and Margaret Mason for their presence and input.
Barbara Newton has not re-nominated due to other
commitments but I would like to record a vote of thanks
to her for her great contribution as a Committee
Member over many years.
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Robert Dodgson has agreed to come on the Committer
and on behalf of all of us, we bid you welcome, Robert.
Of course, no Society can flourish without its members,
and I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge
thank you to all our loyal members, not only in NSW but
interstate and overseas, for their continued support in
our aims of promoting friendship and understanding
between the peoples of Australia and China.
We are very proud and profoundly grateful that
Professor Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO has agreed to
continue to be our Patron. We hope to see her at some
of our events now that she has retired as Governor of
New South Wales.
I wrote in my President's Report in the November
Bulletin that we would love our ACFS members to
continue to support the Society and if we can each of us
introduce a new member for 2015, our Society will
double its size.
I am delighted and feel very privileged and honoured to
continue as President of ACFS NSW. I am sure that with
your help and support, 2015 will prove to be another
great year for the Society.
Margaret Yung Kelly, President,
6 November 2014
Secretary's Report to ACFS 2014 AGM
2014 continued the Society's activities thanks to the
work of the committee and the participation of our
membership. Thanks to all for their particular
contributions.
Thanks go especially, as always, to Margaret Yung
Kelly who is as busy in her new role of President as
she was in her many years as Secretary. Her generous
nature and positive outlook are a source of
inspiration.
Our Thursday evening monthly meetings provided
members with many interesting speakers followed by
optional dinners and the Tuesday daytime meetings
included speakers but also excursions to galleries and
exhibitions among other destinations.
We are fortunate in being invited to many functions
such as lectures, musical performances, films etc. via
the Confucius Centres of both University of Sydney
and UNSW as well as the China Studies Centre and
other organisations. These functions are a
wonderful opportunity to attend interesting and
varied events.
Dr Richard Wu has invited us to ‘Blind Reverie’
described as ‘the Party of 2014’ later this month. The
events are too numerous to list, but suffice to say we
circulate them amongst the committee and, if time
permits, give them space in the Bulletin.
Our tours continue to bring in some vitally needed
funds for the society and we encourage members to
join them. The tour led by Margaret to Morocco and
Sicily was a huge success and those of us who booked
look forward to the India tour in January. The
December 2013 trip to Myanmar led by myself will be
followed up with a tour to Myanmar in December
2015 – the itinerary will include destinations
additional to last year’s trip and be published in the
February Bulletin.
Our monthly Bulletin continues to be invaluable in
providing members with information of upcoming
events and tours as well as articles generally China-
related. This is an appropriate moment to express
gratitude to the editor, Georgina Black, who has
produced the publication for many years and
gratitude to our members who roll up for the
Bulletin's monthly mail out - folding, sticking,
labelling, bundling in preparation for the Australia
Post pickup. And thanks to Sue Allen who uploads the
Bulletins onto our website which she maintains.
Haiou Liu continues to teach the Mandarin class on
Tuesday mornings at 10.30am at our ACFS offices.
And Miranda Ho continues to conduct her Wednesday
10am Qigong class at Ultimo Community Centre.
As far as our election results this year, nominations
received did not exceed the number of positions on
the Committee which makes it very easy, and I have
great pleasure in reporting that the ACFS Committee
for 2015 is as follows:
President: Margaret Yung Kelly
Vice Presidents: Georgina Black and Peng Tow
Secretary: Lesley Heath
Assistant Secretary: Mailis Wakeham
Treasurer: Christine Wong
Committee Members: Sue Allen, Fay Briggs, Patricia
Curtis, Robert Dodgson, Laurel Dyson, Miranda Ho,
Gina Kelly, Margaret Mason and Peter Weitzel.
So here's wishing the Society a happy and prosperous
2015. And hope to see a big rollup at the Christmas
Party. And don’t forget to subscribe a friend to boost
our membership numbers.
Lesley Heath, Secretary November 2014
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Economics: Manufacture renewables to build energy security
• John Mathews and Hao Tan - 10 September 2014
Countries should follow China's lead and boost markets for
water, wind and solar power technologies to drive down
costs, say John A. Mathews and Hao Tan.
POLICY
China's rise to become the world's largest power producer
and source of carbon emissions through burning coal is well
recognized. But the nation's renewable-energy systems are
expanding even faster than its fossil-fuel and nuclear
power. China leads the world in the production and use of
wind turbines, solar-photovoltaic cells and smart-grid
technologies, generating almost as much water, wind and
solar energy as all of France and Germany's power plants
combined. Production of solar cells in China has expanded
100-fold since 2005.
As the scale of Chinese manufacturing has grown, the costs
of renewable-energy devices have plummeted. Innovation
has played a part. But the main driver of cost reduction has
been market expansion. Germany and South Korea are
following similar paths. In short: industrialization can go
hand in hand with decarbonization.
Too many countries have yet to take notice. The USA and
European Union are pursuing counterproductive policies,
such as increasing trade tariffs on imported Chinese
photovoltaic panels. Restricting global trade in renewable
devices will only slow the rate at which costs decrease and
will decelerate the world's retreat from fossil fuels.
As a result, uptake of renewable energies globally has been
too sluggish to seriously reduce greenhouse gases and
tackle climate change. For 15 years, countries have failed to
deliver their carbon-reduction commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol, hindered by the vested interests of the
fossil-fuel industry and fears that alternatives are costly.
LISTEN
John Mathews on China’s trend for renewable energy
The narrative around renewable energies needs to change.
As in China, renewables must be seen as a source of energy
security, not just of reduced carbon emissions. Today's
discussions about energy security focus almost exclusively
on maintaining access to fossil fuels. But unlike oil, coal and
gas, the supplies of which are limited and subject to
geopolitical tensions, renewable-energy devices can be
built anywhere and implemented wherever there is
sufficient water, wind and sun.
Green growth
As the scale of manufacture and use of renewables rises,
market forces will make them more accessible, affordable
and efficient. Energy policies should therefore focus on
promoting manufacturing, trade and competition in low-
carbon technologies, rather than supporting ever more
expensive, dangerous and inaccessible fossil fuels.
China generates more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh)
of electricity, about 1 trillion kWh more than the United
States. China's rapid economic expansion since it joined the
World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 has been based
on fossil fuels: it consumes around 23% of the world's coal
production for electricity. But fossil fuels alone cannot
power the industrial growth the country needs to keep up
with the West.
Since the mid-2000s, China has also pursued a low-carbon
energy strategy. Investment in hydroelectric, wind, solar
and nuclear-power generating facilities increased by 40%
between 2008 and 2012 from 138 billion RMB (US$22
billion) to about 200 billion RMB. The share of investment
in fossil-fuel power facilities in China, meanwhile, fell from
around 50% to 25% over the same period.
Source: EIA/China Electricity Council
Expand
As a result, China's wind-power capacity has increased
fivefold in the past four years (see 'Wind speed'). And in
2013, the generating capacity from new water, wind and
solar sources exceeded that of new fossil-fuel and nuclear
facilities for the first time (see 'Renewables powerhouse').
Zero-carbon sources now contribute 9.6% of the energy
used in China, up from 5.6% in 2000. This is a considerable
achievement.
In 2013, China also hit its target two years early to generate
almost 30% of electricity from renewables. The Chinese
government aims for renewables capacity to reach 550
gigawatts (GW) by 2017, or 48% above the 2013 level.
No other country is investing so much money or
generating so much renewable energy.
Economies of scale
China is upgrading its power grid to accommodate power
fluctuations and distributed generation for intermittent
sources. In one demonstration project, the State Grid
Corporation of China (SGCC) is investing 9.4 billion renminbi
to integrate wind and solar-photovoltaic generation and
storage devices into the main grid. The SGCC is helping to
set international product standards for smart-grid elements
that will underpin the export of these technologies to
countries such as Brazil.
There are two keys to China's success in renewables.
Focused policies drive investment in selected sectors and
encourage domestic take-up by measures such as feed-in
tariffs. And industrial dynamics, including economies of
scale and efficiencies gained through learning, drive down
unit costs as the global market expands.
Sour
ce:
Ren
ewa
bles
201
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Glob
al
Stat
us
Report
Expand
Renewable-energy generation requires the manufacture of
many components, such as wind turbines, solar-
photovoltaic cells, mirrors, lenses, batteries and energy-
storage systems. From 2010 to 2013, while total global
photovoltaic installation more than tripled from 40 GW to
140 GW, China's installation expanded 22-fold, from 0.8
GW to 18 GW. Supplying the international market, as well
as the domestic one, has helped to drive down costs of
photovoltaic panels by 80% since 2008. Solar-power users
around the world have benefited from lower prices.
A few other countries are following a similar strategy.
South Korea, for example, is committed to 'green growth'
expanding its smart grid and focusing its production on
emerging clean sectors such as zero-emission vehicles. And
Germany has been expanding its manufacture and use of
solar and wind power since the early 2000s, with the aim of
replacing its nuclear power with renewables.
The same principle of industrial-scale production
established US supremacy in the automotive industry a
century ago. Between 1909 and 1916, Henry Ford reduced
the cost of his Ford Model T by 62%, from $950 to $360.
Each year, sales doubled from fewer than 6,000 in 1908 to
more than 800,000 in 1917.
Yet US energy policy emphasizes exploiting domestic coal
seam gas and shale oil, through innovations such as
hydraulic fracture (fracking) and horizontal drilling. The
problems of diminishing returns and environmental costs of
fossil fuels remain.
Changing the conversation
Reframing the emissions debate in terms of energy security
has profound implications for international negotiations
under the terms of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. In December, national
representatives will gather in Lima for the preparatory
meeting to the Paris conference in 2015. Their agenda
remains negotiating voluntary national carbon-emissions
reductions, rather than promoting renewable-energy
industries, as the fastest route to decarbonization.
But governments that build strong renewables sectors can
achieve those emissions reductions while enhancing their
energy security and building their manufacturing industries.
Another advantage of the market-oriented approach is that
renewables are not burdened with the task of resolving the
entire climate-change problem. Few countries will be able
to rely on water, wind and solar power alone, and some
fossil fuels will continue to be used.
Our critics will counter that technology-based solutions
raise concerns over the availability of industrial materials
and land for building solar and wind devices and farms. But
our calculations suggest that a global renewables push for
an extra 10 terawatts of power-generation capacity could
be achieved on current industrial scales over the next 20
years, by which time the world energy system would be
well on the way to total conversion. Producing the extra 10
terawatts from renewables needed to transform global
electric power would require more than 5 million square
kilometres filled with around 3 million wind turbines,
14,000 concentrated solar-power installations and 12,500
solar-photovoltaic farms. These technologies could perhaps
be accommodated in the world's desert and semi-desert
regions. The targets are large but they are manageable
compared with current world production levels of 1.75
billion mobile phones per year or 84 mil vehicles per year.
Trade solutions
The main obstacles to expanding renewables uptake are
failed policies and continuing subsidization of fossil fuels.
All governments should enlarge the market for renewable
power by encouraging manufacture and trade of devices.
Countries should foster export and import of renewable
electric power (from, say, North Africa to Europe under the
DESERTEC project, or from Mongolia to China, Japan and
South Korea under the east Asian super-grid proposal).
Above all, the narrow agenda that the Kyoto process has
enforced needs to be broadened.
How? One way involves expanding free trade in renewable
devices. Here, the WTO could complement the Kyoto
process. A preliminary agreement to free up trade in
renewables was adopted by Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation countries in 2012, and could be proposed to
the WTO. A precedent exists with trade in personal
computers and other information-technology products. It
was expanded from a voluntary agreement to reduce tariffs,
signed up to by most major industrial countries, and
adopted by the WTO in 1997.
Private finance must also play a part. The Kyoto-process
negotiators have so far considered that financing for
climate-related initiatives should come from tax-based
public finance rather than from private or even
government-backed development banks. This emphasis
needs to change. Green bonds lower the costs of capital
and facilitate the scaling up of investments. One example is
the $500-million bond issued by the Export-Import Bank of
Korea last year allocated exclusively to finance green
projects around the world.
China is leading the way. By placing the emphasis on
production scale and market growth, it is contributing more
than any other country to a climate-change solution. Its
build-up of renewable-energy systems at serious scale is
driving cost reductions that will make water, wind and solar
power accessible to all
11
AustraliaChina Friendship Society
澳中友好協会澳中友好協会澳中友好協会澳中友好協会 NSW INC.
Invites you to join our ACFS Essence of North India Tourto experience the incredible India on the 17 nights 18
days tour toDelhi, Amritsar, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Jaipur, Nimaj, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Mumbai. We have been able to obtain for members and friends this specially priced tour, organised by
CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (AUST.) PTY. LTD. (Licence No. 2TA001849) The tour will depart from Sydney on 19 January2015and arrive back in Sydney on 05 February2015.Please complete the attached booking form and return to Ms Amy Rae, China Travel Service (Aust) Pty. Ltd Sydney Office, Level 1, Suite 3 -7, 650 George Street, Sydney 2000 as soon as possible to secure your place on this fabulous tour.
Please make cheque deposit of $850 payable to CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE
The balance of the tour costs is payable by 30 November2014and a meeting of tour members will be held about two weeks prior to departure. Travel Insurance is essential. CTS (Amy Rae Tel: 02 9372 0081) can arrange it at special
minimal cost or you can make your own arrangement. Book as soon as possible
DON’T MISS OUT!!
Tour Leader is Mrs. Margaret Kelly, NSW PresidentTel/Fax:(02) 9810 4298 Mob 0488913133 Email:[email protected]
Tour price: $6380 per person twin share
Single Supplement: $1650.per person
Price includes
International flights with Thai Airways & domestic flights with Air India Airport taxes and fuel surcharges Domestic flights and domestic airport tax 5 star Western style & 4 star Heritage style accommodations and all meals Transport by road in private air-conditioned vehicles , train & ferry travel English speaking guide throughout Porterage 1 piece per person is included at hotels where available India visa- single entry All tipping Price excludes
Travel Insurance Personal expense
Price excludes
Travel Insurance Personal expense If undeliverable return to: ACFS NSW Inc. Suite 524 368 Sussex Street SYDNEY NSW 2000
PP No 235387/00014
The Australia-China Friendship Society is a non-profit organisation, run completely by volunteers. It was founded in the early 1950s to promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Australia and China.
In keeping with that objective we engage in the following activities:
� We hold regular meetings each month at which we hear speakers who have expert knowledge about China. � We organise tours to China and other countries, at the lowest possible cost. � We host delegations from China. � We conduct classes in the Chinese language and organise language, painting, cultural and other specialist tours
in China. � We organise excursions and social occasions for members and friends. � We raise money to support the education of disadvantaged children in China’s poorer areas.
Membership is open to anyone who supports our aim of promoting friendship and understanding between Australians and Chinese.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in articles published in the Bulletin are not necessarily those of the ACFS.
Australia-China Friendship Society NSW Membership Application Form
To renew your membership or to join, please complete this slip and send it in with your cheque or postal order. Donations welcome!
$30 Individual member
$35 Family
$25 Concession (pension/student)
Donation $________________
Post to the Secretary, ACFS, Suite 524, 5th floor, Pacific Trade Centre, 368 Sussex Street, SYDNEY, NSW 2000
Direct Deposit: Commonwealth Bank BSB number 062 099; Account Number 1021 3918 – Please make sure you indicate your name!
(Please PRINT!) Mr/Mrs/Ms…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Address …………………………………………………………………………………………..……....Postcode…………… Telephone……………………..……..………Email………………………….………………..….……Date……………….…
□ Renewal □ New Member Membership entitles you to monthly Bulletin.
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