australia-china free trade agreement conference brian pilbeam, pr

4Telstra believes the differences in the two countries’ stages of development create significantbusiness opportunities.China is already the world’s largest market for mobiles, but it is in customer service levels thatTelstra believes it can make a significant contribution to the Chinese market. We know whatservices, as opposed to infrastructure, blue-chip customers are seeking.The Yellow Pages is a simple example. In Western countries, it is second nature for companiesto use this medium to advertise their services, but there is hardly any equivalent in China. I amsure that Sensis, Telstra’s directories business, could offer a lot to a Chinese carrier looking todevelop these services increasingly demanded by customers.We understand the opportunities and benefits, having experienced competitive reforms inAustralia over the past 20 years to deregulate and open up its economy, as well as our mostrecent experience in the global economy.But we need to appreciate that, despite the rich history of cities such as Shanghai andGuangzhou, China is a newcomer to current international trade and investment regimes. Andthe changing dynamics that come into play as a consequence means it faces somefundamental growth challenges.China is already producing goods on a scale that puts it in the top international ranks. AsAmbassador Madame Fu Ying told the National Press Club in Canberra last month, Chinamakes one of every two cameras that are sold around the world, as well as one of every threeTV sets and one of every three air-conditioners.If China wants to continue to grow its economy and to move to higher-value specialisedproducts with skilled staff and knowledge workers, it will need robust telecommunicationservices to glue together the various economic clusters and activities and create the rightclimate for sustainable growth.It is critical for China to develop reliable, customer-focused telecommunications in tandem withits overall economic strategy.