VI Group Attends AustCham China “Two Sessions” Policy Briefing, Bringing On-the-Ground Insights into Australian Mining Investment

On 13 March, Neil Purcell, Head of Strategic Relationships at VI Group, was invited to attend the “2026 Two Sessions Policy Briefing: Opportunities and Outlook for Foreign Investors and Businesses”, hosted by AustCham China in Beijing.

The seminar focused on policy directions emerging from China’s recently concluded “Two Sessions” and the opening phase of the 15th Five-Year Plan, attracting broad participation from the China–Australia business community.

Authoritative Insights: Policy Signals from the Two Sessions

The event featured in-depth analysis from leading experts.
Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, provided insights into the outcomes of the Two Sessions and their implications for Australian businesses.
Feng Chucheng, Founding Partner of Hutong Research, shared perspectives from a macroeconomic and policy implementation standpoint.

Based on the discussions, several key themes emerged that are highly relevant to mining investment and China–Australia economic cooperation:

Resource security and supply chain resilience
Critical minerals have become a policy priority, with long-term demand underpinned by strategic considerations. At the same time, higher standards are being placed on ESG performance and supply chain transparency.

Green transition reshaping demand structure
China’s continued expansion in electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and advanced manufacturing is expected to drive sustained demand for transition minerals such as lithium, nickel, and copper.
Dr. Li Wei from the UTS Business School noted that this growth will require clean energy inputs and research collaboration—areas where Australia holds strong capabilities.

Policy emphasis on stability and predictability
For long-cycle industries such as mining, policy stability is more critical than short-term incentives.
Professor Hans Hendrischke of UTS Business School highlighted that, in an increasingly unpredictable global economic environment, Beijing’s commitment to continuity and stability is of significant importance.

Further opening-up to foreign investment
China has reaffirmed that “its doors will only open wider,” with reforms aimed at improving the foreign investment framework and creating new advantages in attracting international capital.
Frank Alafaci, Chair of the Australia-China Business Summit Advisory Council, noted that as Australia’s largest trading partner, China plays a central role in supporting Australia’s export-driven growth, particularly across resources, agriculture, education, and services.

Practical Perspective: From Macro Trends to Project Delivery

Representing VI Group, Neil Purcell engaged with policy experts and industry participants, bringing a practical perspective grounded in over 15 years of experience in the mining sector.

Having begun his career at BHP, Neil has been involved in and led numerous mining projects and transactions across different commodities and development stages, with deal sizes ranging from USD 50 million to over USD 10 billion. He has extensive expertise in key aspects of project delivery in Australia, including community engagement, permitting processes, and stakeholder management.

Neil emphasised that while macro policy provides clarity on demand-side fundamentals, successful project outcomes ultimately depend on execution on the supply side—whether individual projects can be effectively developed and delivered.

He further noted that the economic complementarity between Australia and China remains a strong foundation for future cooperation. As major contributors to economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region, continued engagement between the two countries will support trade stability, investment flows, and supply chain continuity.

Bridging Strategy and Execution

This aligns closely with VI Group’s core approach: integrating macro policy insights with hands-on operational experience in the Australian mining sector.

As China advances its 15th Five-Year Plan, opportunities for collaboration are expected to grow across renewable energy, environmental technologies, digital innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Strengthening institutional dialogue and promoting cooperation in research, investment, and technology exchange will be critical to sustaining long-term economic engagement.

VI Group remains committed to supporting partners in navigating cross-border mining investment by combining strategic clarity with execution capability.