Media release 

Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile

Tuesday May 16, 2000
MVT44a/2000

Major Australian business mission to Greater China

Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, will depart tomorrow for China (including the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions) leading one of the biggest business delegations to go to China for many years.

"I will be accompanied on this my first visit to China by 74 senior business representatives covering a range of sectors, including sporting services, construction, high-tech, resources, mining and mining equipment, insurance, banking, air traffic control, management consultancy and agriculture," Mr Vaile said.

Mr Vaile and the Australian business delegates will travel to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing and Kunming from 18 to 24 May to meet with high-level trade and government officials and business counterparts.

"The People's Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region combined represented Australia's third largest trading partner with bilateral trade up 31 per cent since 1995 to A$14.3 billion in 1999," Mr Vaile.

"This mission aims to be a showcase of Australian industry capability in the lead up to China's WTO accession which will markedly improve access for Australian exporters and consolidate our bilateral trading relations with China."

Mr Vaile will be hosted by Mr Shi Guangsheng, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

"While in Beijing, I hope to officially sign the bilateral WTO agreement between Australia and China to maintain the international momentum behind China's WTO accession," Mr Vaile said.

Mr Vaile's visit to Kunming in China's western province of Yunnan breaks new ground in moving Australia's commercial focus beyond China's eastern markets. Mr Vaile will visit Kunming to discuss preparations for the opening of an Austrade office there later this year.

Contact: John Kunkel 0413 004 314