Trad officially opens Chengdu trade office

Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Jackie Trad has officially opened the government’s fourth China trade office in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Ms Trad said that the region was the business hub of Western China and was strategically important to Queensland.

“The expansion of TIQ’s footprint into Western China highlights the important role TIQ China plays in facilitating government relationships and commercial opportunities for Queensland businesses,” Ms Trad said.

“The Palaszczuk Government is in the process of developing a whole of government trade and investment strategy which aims to take advantage of the bountiful opportunities that our growing regions have to offer.

“Sichuan Province is a significant province in China in terms of resources, population, economy and science, with a population of 91 million.

“Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan, is a centre of science and technology, trade, commerce and finance, as well as a telecom and transport hub for Southwest China.

“Twenty per cent of the world’s computers are produced in Chengdu and it is the third-largest destination in China for global companies with more than half of the world’s top 500 companies maintaining a presence in Chengdu.

“This trade office will strengthen Queensland’s ties with Western China particularly in tourism, agriculture, education and the mining sector.”

While in Chengdu, Ms Trad also met with representatives from Sichuan Airlines to continue discussions on establishing direct flights between Brisbane and Sichuan Province.

“Queensland was the destination for almost half of all Chinese visitors to Australia in 2016 with visitors spending more than $1 billion in our state.

“However the majority of Chinese visitors have to fly in and out via Sydney or Melbourne airports meaning they have less time to enjoy Queensland’s attractions.

“Direct flights to and from Queensland would ensure our visitors have the ability to maximise their time in our beautiful state. It would also mean Queensland businesses have direct access to the millions of consumers in Western China.”

China is Queensland’s largest trading partner and export market and a major investor in Queensland across a range of industries. In 2015-16 preliminary trade data puts the state’s merchandise export market at $11.1 billion.

ENDS

Media contact: Anna Jabour 0429 890 942