China now Australia's top source of immigrants

Australia remains attractive to Chinese migrants

China has overtaken the UK and New Zealand as Australia's biggest source of immigrants, official figures reveal.

The latest government figures show a record 6,350 people arrived from China in the four months to October.

China's new primacy was due largely to a fall in migration from the UK and New Zealand, as people there opt to hold on to jobs instead of moving to Australia.

Arrivals from the UK were down 28% to 5,800 and the number from New Zealand was down 47% to 4,740.

Diplomatic spats

British migration has also been affected by a cut in the number of skilled workers Australia allows to settle in the country.

Chinese migration, however, is dominated by family reunions and grew by 15% over the same period last year.

New Zealanders do not require visas to migrate to Australia and so the drop in migration from there is a direct response to economic conditions, demographer Graeme Hugo told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The upsurge in Chinese migration comes despite a series of spats this year between Beijing and Canberra.

Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto spurned a bid from Chinese state-owned firm Chinalco in favour of an offer from another Anglo-Australian company - BHP Billiton.

Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu and three Chinese staff were arrested in China on suspicion of industrial espionage.

Deepening the diplomatic chill, Australia allowed high-profile Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer to visit in August.

Since then, both sides have worked to improve ties. A survey of Chinese attitudes to Australia released earlier this month indicated that a majority of respondents agreed Australia has attractive values and a good political system.