Global supply chains are facing major disruptions, but Australia-China partnerships offer a bright spot amid the uncertainty and challenges, businesses and other stakeholders heard at an industry event on Thursday.

Australia is set to be the Country of Honor at this year's China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, a move expected to provide an important platform in line with China's high-quality development and the deepening of industrial and supply chain cooperation to better face the global challenges.

Reflecting the focus of export-ready Australian companies in the renewable energy sector to engage directly with China's rapidly expanding energy ecosystem, the Smart Energy Council, in partnership with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, is leading an Australian delegation of renewable energy companies to the expo in June.

David McElrea, chief advocacy officer of the Smart Energy Council, told China Daily the sector offers a model for the "long and enduring partnership" of the two countries.

"In Australia, we use a lot of Chinese materials and investments, whether it's solar panels, batteries, or electric vehicles. So much of what is driving a green, renewable energy revolution around the world originates in China," McElrea, whose nonprofit group includes more than 1,000 members from the green sector, said.

"We're constantly impressed by the innovation in China … that search for quality, that dynamism in the Chinese market is something that we and the rest of the world are a beneficiary of," he said.

"There are so many ways we can work together and the future for cooperation is bright."

McElrea was speaking at the event in Sydney for the Fourth China International Supply Chain Expo, scheduled from June 22 to 26 in the Chinese capital.

The expo, organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, promotes collaboration among industry, academia, research and applications, encouraging interaction between Chinese and international businesses toward closer global industrial and supply chain partnerships.

Ma Lei, chief representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade representative office in Australia, said Australia's confirmation as the Country of Honor at the expo "reflects Australia's strong confidence in deepening industrial and supply chain cooperation with China and injects new momentum into bilateral economic and trade ties".

Ma, whose office organized the Sydney event, said the expo's focus on major industrial chains such as advanced manufacturing, green agriculture and clean energy is "perfectly aligned with China-Australia cooperation priorities … creating vast opportunities for businesses from both countries".

Chen Jianyu, general manager of the Sydney branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, said Australia's designation at the expo "reflects the depth of China–Australia economic cooperation and highlights the important role Australian businesses play in global supply chains".

The bank is a strategic partner of the expo and supported the Sydney event with the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia.

"Leveraging ICBC's extensive global network and deep presence in China, we aim to help Australian enterprises connect with the right partners, explore new opportunities, and achieve tangible business outcomes," Chen said.

"The world that we're living in at the moment, everything is uncertain, a lot of things are happening, leading to much unpredictability in the market ... with recalibration, reconfiguration of supply chains," Arnold Jorge, CEO of the Export Council of Australia, told China Daily.

"So one of the first things that we should do is make sure that we try to establish some kind of stability," he said.

The council is the peak industry body for the Australian export community with members nationwide involved in sectors ranging from agrifood and health to construction and information technology for international trade.

Jorge said that Australia's relationship with China, its largest trading partner, offers much-needed positives and complementarities to help overcome the challenges.

"China is doing well in so many areas, both in the technology space and the more traditional areas. We're hoping China can partner more with Australia in technologies, to co-invest, for example, in environmentally sustainable building materials," he said.

Referring to the fast-growing electric vehicle sector, Jorge said both countries can also collaborate in research and development and facilities to recycle or reuse batteries from the cars.

"In terms of supply chains, Australia is not simply in the context of providing raw materials but can also somehow feed into other parts of the chain," Jorge said.