Australian state premier expects to boost ties with China during visit in September

CANBERRA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian State Premier of South Australia (SA) looks forward to promoting trade, tourism and the state's education resources during his visit to China in September.

Peter Malinauskas on Thursday said he will lead a business delegation to China for an official visit from September 14 to September 21 for talks on trade, education and tourism.

"Our economic relationship with China is a mutually beneficial one, after almost four years, this visit will provide an opportunity to reconnect with Chinese officials and business leaders from a range of industries," said Malinauskas.

It will be the first official visit to China by a South Australian Premier since October 2019 and the third by an Australian state leader in 2023. The delegation plans to visit Shanghai, Beijing and Jinan, capital city of east China's Shandong Province.

In a speech to the state parliament, Malinauskas said he will use the trip to promote SA as a destination for Chinese students and boost SA's trade with the country.

He said students from the Chinese mainland currently make up the second-largest cohort of international students enrolled in SA schools and universities.

Between January and April 2023, there were 6,785 Chinese students enrolled in SA, representing 19 percent of all international students.

"China is South Australia's number one export destination for merchandise. In the 12 months to May, merchandise exports to China totaled 2.8 billion Australian dollars in value, a 48 percent increase on the preceding year," he said.

He said that this year marks 37 years since SA and Shandong established a sister-state relationship.

"I look forward to meeting key senior officials in Jinan to deepen our strong relationship and explore ways to further strengthen this partnership," Malinauskas said.