The Western Australian Government has welcomed the Chinese Lunar New Year, which in 2025 started on 29 January and ends on 12 February.
Celebrations are happening across the state to mark the auspicious start of the Year of the Snake, which is thought to be a time of renewal, growth and transformation.
The annual Perth Chinese New Year Fair, hosted by the Chung Wah Association, will took place on Sunday (2 February) in Northbridge and Yagan Square.
Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated in countries throughout Asia, including China, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, among others.
Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Minister Tony Buti says Western Australia like the rest of the country has had long ties to China through trade and business, particularly mining.
China is Australia’s largest two-way trading partner, increasing some 9.3% in 2023 and totalling more than $327 billion. Australia’s goods and services exports to China totalled $219 billion in 2023 – up 18.3% compared to 2022.
Increased engagement between Australia and China has led to positive developments in the trade relationship, including the removal of most of China’s trade impediments that had affected Australian exports since 2020.
China is the fifth-largest foreign direct investor in Australia with investment stock worth $46.6 billion in 2023), accounting for 4% of total foreign direct investment (FDI). Australian FDI in China totalled $2.2 billion in 2023.
In recent years, Chinese investment has broadened from mainly mining to other sectors including infrastructure and healthcare.
China’s growth is expected to moderate out to 2026 due to structural and demographic factors, including population falls and slowing urbanisation and is expected to slow from 5% in 2024 to 4.5% in 2026.
The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal. In 2025, the Year of the Snake is the sixth animal in the zodiac cycle. Unlike the bold and outgoing Dragon, the Snake represents calmness and introspection.
“Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated by many in the East and South East Asian communities of Western Australia and is a time of great joy and happiness as we revel in the richness of cultural diversity of our multiculturalism state,” Buti says.
“I would like to wish everyone celebrating Chinese New Year Gong Xi Fa Cai for a prosperous Year of the Snake.”
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: ACBC
