AustCham Shanghai celebrates the end of an action-packed year for our Members and friends from all corners of the globe. Read Chair David Keir's Christmas Message here.

We wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas season and a fantastic New Year. Please note the Secretariat office will be closed from Monday 26 December and will re-open on Wednesday 4 January. See you in 2012! 

Heading to Australia for Christmas? Don't forget to use your AustCham Shanghai Membership Card, which gives Gold card holders 15kg extra baggage allowance with Cathay Pacific and Qantas travelling from Shanghai to any destination in Australia. For details and to check out all fantastic Card benefits and discounts click here.

AustCham Shanghai's Linked In group is picking up steam, with more than 115 members participating online. Get involved in discussion on latest industry developments by requesting to join.
 

In Australia this week, the Australian Government handed over permanent control of the Australia Network to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. To read AustCham Shanghai Board Director (Member Relations) Peter Arkell's 'Letter to the Editor' response published in The Age newspaper click here.

From China, celebrate the festive season at our Aussie Drinks Christmas Party this Friday night. Our altruistic spirit is alive and kicking with a winter Clothing Drive for the Renewal Center now on until Friday 16 December. Please donate any unwanted warm clothes to our office.

We look forward to hosting new Australian Consul General to Shanghai Ms Alice Cawte to speak on developments in the Australian education sector in her first presentation to Chamber members and guests on Monday 12 December. 

AustCham Shanghai is powering to the end of the year with a full December calendar, including the first planning session for a new Manufacturing Industry Committee next Wednesday.

Lock in next Friday night (9 December) for our Aussie Drinks Christmas Party at the Camel Sports Bar, complete with Christmas dinner buffet. Please register your attendance for catering purposes by Thursday 8 December. This Friday, join us and the Australia China Alumni Association for an end-of-year Aussie Drinks celebration of our communities.
 

Australia's proposed mining tax cleared a political hurdle this week, passing Parliament by two votes. The measure is expected to go to the Senate for a final decision next year.

From China, AustCham Shanghai encourages members managing services-based businesses to attend a briefing on the Valued Added Tax pilot program in Shanghai, to be effective from 1 January 2012. Lachlan Wolfers (KPMG), who will present the seminar with Martyn Huckerby (Mallesons Stephen Jaques) said "in some ways, the impact will be similar to what happened when Australia introduced a GST in the year 2000". For information and to RSVP click here.