Premier Colin Barnett's official visit to China in July will reinforce Western Australia's commitment to one of the State's most important trade and investment relationships.
Mr Barnett said that as WA's largest export market (worth $22billion in 2008), China was vital to the State's economy, while WA's mineral and energy resources played a key role in China's success as a global economic power.
The Premier will visit six major Chinese centres of Hangzhou (the capital of Western Australia's Sister-State Zhejiang Province), Beijing, Anshan, Shanghai, Shenyang and Dalian.
He will meet senior Chinese Government officials and provincial leaders as well as executives of companies doing business with WA.
"I understand the significance and responsibility that I have on this visit to China and it is a role I take very seriously," Mr Barnett said.
"I will be reassuring government and industry leaders that China is valued by Western Australia as a customer, as an investor and as a supplier of industrial equipment.
"We also value cultural exchange through tourism, education and those people who come to work and live in WA.
"In the past 10 months we have seen global economic upheaval that has affected everyone, including WA. This visit to China highlights one of the core roles of Premier and I will be acting to ensure WA's interests are best served now and into the future.
"While recent events, including the collapse of Chinalco's investment bid in Rio Tinto, have caused disappointment and confusion in China, the enormous opportunities for both China and Western Australia in future resources development and job creation should not be overlooked.
"The massive expansion of WA's LNG capacity currently under way has enormous potential to power China's continuing growth.
"Chinese investors are significant partners in resources projects covering iron ore and other industrial minerals, including those of the future such as rare earths, lithium and tantalum.
"They will also benefit from the State Government's commitment to help fund a new $4billion deep water port, railway and industrial estate at Oakajee and the opening up of the Mid-West region's mineral and processing potential that will result.
"Federal and State governments should play a key role in maturing Australia's relationship with China and I hope my visit is a step towards achieving that.
"Western Australia has had an ongoing broad relationship with China across many years as evidenced by our 20-year-plus Sister State relationship with Zhejiang.
"The relationship has not just been resource based, but sits across many other areas including education, disabilities services, police and agriculture.
"There is a significant Western Australian presence in China across all of these areas and building upon those relationships and partnerships is a key part of WA's future growth."
In Beijing, the Premier will host a dinner organised by the Australian Ambassador and open a seminar on Investing in WA organised by the Australia China Business Council. Senior Chinese bankers and industry leaders will attend each event.
Mr Barnett will also inspect LNG terminals under construction in Shanghai Yanshang Port and in Dailian and equipment for processing Western Australian magnetite ore in Anshan and Yinkou in Liaoning Province.
Premier's office - 9222 9475
