Several Issues on Sister State/City Relations between China and Australia

Sister state/city is a new form of international exchange led by the local government to expand non-governmental exchanges mainly in the economy and culture. Since China and Australia established diplomatic relations in 1972, the continuous development of sister state/cities relations between two countries helps to deepen the Sino-Australian relationship. This paper first expounds the conditions and reasons for the establishment of sister states/cities relations, then overviews the development history and the current situation of the relations, and finally discusses the significance, effect and issues of the relations in promoting the communication between China and Australia. It points out that the relations offer a new platform for the exchange on politics, economy and culture, strengthening the sound and stable development of Sino-Australian relationship.