❓ The Premier outlines the purpose and composition of his trade mission to China and Japan, focusing on strengthening economic ties, boosting international education and tourism, and engaging with key trading partners and investors.
AnsweredQoN 640Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PREMIER —
CHINA AND JAPAN VISIT
640. MR S.J. PRICE to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's upcoming visit to our two
biggest trading partners, China and Japan. How will this trade mission help
deliver on this government's commitment to strengthening the WA
economy, creating jobs, growing tourism and driving international education?
CHINA AND JAPAN VISIT
640. MR S.J. PRICE to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's upcoming visit to our two
biggest trading partners, China and Japan. How will this trade mission help
deliver on this government's commitment to strengthening the WA
economy, creating jobs, growing tourism and driving international education?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield for the question.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Carine, you do not learn any
day, do you? I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am pleased to inform the house that this evening I will
be leading a trade delegation to China, and from there I will be proceeding on
to Japan, and I will be returning Sunday week. The purpose of my first overseas
visit as Premier of Western Australia is to engage with our major trading
partners, China and Japan. The business delegation that I am taking with me
will go to China with the express purpose of addressing the issues of
international students and expanding our tourism industry. It is a very
significant delegation, comprising around 40 businesspeople and people from the
higher education and tourism sectors. We have deliberately made this delegation
about the tourism and higher education sectors because we think that those
industries have enormous scope in Western Australia, and we can expand our
relationship in mining and oil and gas, particularly in China, into those areas
of activity. Currently, the number of Chinese students coming to Western Australia,
as a proportion of the national figure, is 3.7 per cent of the international
enrolments of students from China. Obviously, with 11 per cent of the
population of Australia, that is significantly below what our state should be
receiving. We are very keen to expand the number of Chinese students, and that
is an important part of the delegation.
I will be promoting Western Australia as an ideal study
destination for Chinese students. I will have significant representatives from
the education sector with the delegation. I inform the house that the vice-chancellors
from all the major universities will be accompanying me—the University
of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, Curtin University and Murdoch
University—along with representatives from the University of Notre Dame
Australia. The Nobel Prize winner, Professor Barry Marshall, will accompany the
delegation, along with the Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken, and
Professor Lyn Beazley, the chair of StudyPerth. With me will be the Ministers
for Education and Training, Tourism, and Asian Engagement. They will all be
undertaking part of the program to open doors and provide opportunities for Western
Australian industry, education providers and tourism providers in China.
The second aspect of the trip is of course about tourism
numbers. Western Australia's share of Chinese tourists has dropped to
4.4 per cent. I have said that we are 11 per cent of the nation's
population, and we get 4.4 per cent of Chinese tourists. Chinese tourists rank
sixth in the number of visitors to Western Australia; in other states the
average is second. Clearly, we can do better when it comes to Chinese tourists
coming to Western Australia. With me as part of that delegation will be the
Perth Airport CEO, Kevin Brown; Optus Stadium CEO, Mike McKenna; the Perth
Arena general manager; the deputy director of the Perth Convention Bureau; and
directors and chief executives of a range of businesses in Western Australia
that rely upon tourism. As part of the trip, I will be celebrating the
thirtieth anniversary of the relationship with Zhejiang province—an
important relationship for Western Australia—so there will be events in
Hangzhou as part of that.
The second part of
the visit will be to Japan, where I will be meeting with companies that have
had long trading relationships with Western Australia—particularly
Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Kawasaki—and some of the other investors in Western
Australia, government representatives and the like, and going to Kobe for
events with Hyogo Prefecture, our sister state in Japan, and Governor Ido in
particular.
I indicate to the
house that this government regards our relationship with our major trading
partners as incredibly important. We want to treat them seriously. We are
treating it so seriously that on the first visit, particularly to China, I am
taking a delegation of 40 Western Australian business and higher education
providers, because we want to make sure that doors are opened and opportunities
are provided for Western Australia to secure additional tourists and higher
education students into our state.
The SPEAKER : Member for South Perth. Good to have you back!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Carine, you do not learn any
day, do you? I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am pleased to inform the house that this evening I will
be leading a trade delegation to China, and from there I will be proceeding on
to Japan, and I will be returning Sunday week. The purpose of my first overseas
visit as Premier of Western Australia is to engage with our major trading
partners, China and Japan. The business delegation that I am taking with me
will go to China with the express purpose of addressing the issues of
international students and expanding our tourism industry. It is a very
significant delegation, comprising around 40 businesspeople and people from the
higher education and tourism sectors. We have deliberately made this delegation
about the tourism and higher education sectors because we think that those
industries have enormous scope in Western Australia, and we can expand our
relationship in mining and oil and gas, particularly in China, into those areas
of activity. Currently, the number of Chinese students coming to Western Australia,
as a proportion of the national figure, is 3.7 per cent of the international
enrolments of students from China. Obviously, with 11 per cent of the
population of Australia, that is significantly below what our state should be
receiving. We are very keen to expand the number of Chinese students, and that
is an important part of the delegation.
I will be promoting Western Australia as an ideal study
destination for Chinese students. I will have significant representatives from
the education sector with the delegation. I inform the house that the vice-chancellors
from all the major universities will be accompanying me—the University
of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, Curtin University and Murdoch
University—along with representatives from the University of Notre Dame
Australia. The Nobel Prize winner, Professor Barry Marshall, will accompany the
delegation, along with the Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken, and
Professor Lyn Beazley, the chair of StudyPerth. With me will be the Ministers
for Education and Training, Tourism, and Asian Engagement. They will all be
undertaking part of the program to open doors and provide opportunities for Western
Australian industry, education providers and tourism providers in China.
The second aspect of the trip is of course about tourism
numbers. Western Australia's share of Chinese tourists has dropped to
4.4 per cent. I have said that we are 11 per cent of the nation's
population, and we get 4.4 per cent of Chinese tourists. Chinese tourists rank
sixth in the number of visitors to Western Australia; in other states the
average is second. Clearly, we can do better when it comes to Chinese tourists
coming to Western Australia. With me as part of that delegation will be the
Perth Airport CEO, Kevin Brown; Optus Stadium CEO, Mike McKenna; the Perth
Arena general manager; the deputy director of the Perth Convention Bureau; and
directors and chief executives of a range of businesses in Western Australia
that rely upon tourism. As part of the trip, I will be celebrating the
thirtieth anniversary of the relationship with Zhejiang province—an
important relationship for Western Australia—so there will be events in
Hangzhou as part of that.
The second part of
the visit will be to Japan, where I will be meeting with companies that have
had long trading relationships with Western Australia—particularly
Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Kawasaki—and some of the other investors in Western
Australia, government representatives and the like, and going to Kobe for
events with Hyogo Prefecture, our sister state in Japan, and Governor Ido in
particular.
I indicate to the
house that this government regards our relationship with our major trading
partners as incredibly important. We want to treat them seriously. We are
treating it so seriously that on the first visit, particularly to China, I am
taking a delegation of 40 Western Australian business and higher education
providers, because we want to make sure that doors are opened and opportunities
are provided for Western Australia to secure additional tourists and higher
education students into our state.
The SPEAKER : Member for South Perth. Good to have you back!
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