It’s the premier’s first trip there for four years.
“China is an important trading partner and we want to re-establish ties,” McGowan said.
Tensions have slowly started to ease between the federal government and China’s leaders, with Beijing to review tariffs on Australian barley, after Canberra agreed to suspend a world trade organisation challenge against them.
But McGowan’s trip was about WA, he said.
“I haven’t been directed by anyone as what to raise or to not raise, but obviously I’ll focus on economic issues that are of benefit to Western Australia,” he said.
China is the WA’s biggest trading partner, with more than half the state’s exports going there each year, totalling more than $130 billion.
The premier wants to expand on that.
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Energy, resources, aviation, science and innovation are just some of the sectors he’ll focus on during his trip.
A $13.1 million international education announcement was unveiled today.
It’ll be used to market WA as a study destination and support students.
China is Western Australia’s second-largest education market after India. Chinese students accounted for 12 per cent of the state’s total international enrolments last year.
“We want to make sure we continue to build our international student numbers for this reason – it diversifies our economy, it means we are more than mining, we have other string to our bow,” McGowan said.
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