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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 3027 ..
MS CARNELL (continuing):
While acknowledging that there is a serious problem with China's human rights record and the ACT Legislative Assembly's legitimate concern with respect to this, we, the representatives of the Chinese Community of Canberra believe that the most effective response is through active engagement with China and its cities. Greater accountability, openness, acceptance of the rule of law and respect for human rights can best be achieved by fostering friendly ties through sister city programs rather than through punitive actions or isolation.
The president of the ACT Chinese Australian Association, Ms Alice Chu, wrote:
The establishment of a sister city relationship between Beijing and the ACT is, in my opinion, a breakthrough to a closer relationship and an important step in stamping the ACT on the world map. It would promote and strengthen trade and business, cultural and art exchange activities, and a reciprocal care and concern between the people of these two countries. The motion to be put forward by Ms Tucker is counterproductive to the forward looking and positive expectation of the ACT citizens and a step backward to the push for multiculturalism in Australia.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I have a whole range of letters which I have tabled for the information of members. I think that these letters show quite categorically that the Chinese community and the multicultural community in the ACT do support the approach that the ACT government has taken. The relationship has been growing over a number of years and a large number of groups have come from China, including Beijing, to the ACT to look at various aspects of our community in the business area, in government areas and in the arts and culture area. I am confident that that relationship is building a level of understanding that simply did not exist in the past.
In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, I reiterate that the ACT government has taken a very cautious approach with regard to entering into a sister city relationship with China. We have not just thought that this was a great idea. (Extension of time granted.) We believe very strongly that having a cooperative approach between the ACT government and the Beijing government will improve understanding and friendship and has a very great potential to lead to better human rights outcomes for the people of China.
I can guarantee that having no cooperation, no communication and no friendship between the two cities would achieve nothing at all. Closer relationships with Beijing and greater China have already resulted in significant benefits to the ACT and even greater future benefits will result if this sister city relationship is formed.
I am sure that Mr Stefaniak will make some comments about the education program, but one way in which obviously we can improve the human rights situation in China is by having students studying in the ACT and seeing the real benefits of the implementation of a democratic society with rule of law, with quality of life and with the environmental approaches that we take here.
Equally, we can learn a lot from the Chinese community as well. They have a tremendous understanding of history, of family, of traditional medicine and of a whole range of other issues, and that is basically what a sister city relationship is about. It is about mutual understanding, about learning both ways and about benefits both ways. Sister city relationships are about the community.
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