Councils debate future of Chinese sister-city relationships

China’s lobster and barley bans hit Geraldton hard, but the town is sticking with its Chinese sister cities.

Geraldton mayor Shane Van Styn.

One of the West Australian towns hardest hit by the Chinese trade measures restrictions says it will stand by its Chinese sister city relationships, despite moves by at least one regional council to potentially unwind its connections.

Geraldton mayor Shane Van Styn told The Australian that while the town had decided to retire its sister city policy earlier this year, effectively making the relationships dormant, it would not dismantle its ties to three Chinese cities altogether.

The economy of Geraldton, which is just over four hours north of Perth, was impacted by China’s decision to ban the import of western rock lobster and barley from Australia. Geraldton is a major hub for both commodities, while most of the iron ore shipped out of Geraldton’s port ends up in China.

Sister city partnerships have been in the spotlight in recent days after a City of Albany councillor moved a motion to cancel the southern town’s sister city relationship with Linyi, about 600km south of Beijing.

Councillor Thomas Brough argued that such relationships could lead to “influence and interference” in its affairs and “pressures to sovereign integrity”.

Geraldton’s Chinese sister city is Zhanjiang in Guandong Province, while it is also a “strategic partner” of Zhoushan and Linfen.

Mr Van Styn said that while China’s trade measures had hurt Geraldton, he did not see it as the council’s place to wade in on foreign relations.

“Sitting there and trying to take a stand against China on a basic relationship is going to be irrelevant. We’re just not that important. Maintain local relationships by all means, but if you want to get involved in international politics, I think the federal parliament is the best place for that,” he said.

“I don‘t see why a noisy little local government like Albany or us would want to impose themselves and take a bigger stand against China than what the federal government’s doing. I find that bewildering.”

The decision to retire Geraldton’s sister city policy means the town will no longer actively chase or engage with the sister cities, although the existing relationships will be maintained.

Chinese interests including Sinosteel and Ansteel have invested billions of dollars building iron ore mines in the broader Midwest region around Geraldton.

Mr Van Styn noted that other countries also maintained tariffs and trade disputes that inhibited Australian industries, but which did not attract the same level of attention as the Chinese measures. “We are a very China-focused city in the region, between iron ore and barley and lobsters, and it would be a shame, I think, to intervene in the high level politics above our pay grade,” he said.

“We’re seeing a trade dispute at the moment with the EU. Does that mean we no longer talk to the EU because they won’t allow our agricultural exports there?” Mr Van Styn added.

The Albany council is expected to vote on Dr Brough’s proposal next week.