Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo, is currently on a three-day official visit to China. On Friday he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Austrade and the China International Import Expo Bureau, and he said this demonstrates commitment to taking the bilateral trade and investment relationship between the two countries to the next level. 

This is his 13th visit to China over the past three years. It's also the first visit to China by an Australian minister in the past eight months. Many media outlets are reporting that his visit is an ice-breaking trip in the context of tense China-Australia relations. Steven Ciobo told CGTN that he believes although there are some disagreements between Australia and China, there i still a large amount of cooperation that both sides can develop together. 

The first China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai this November, And the minister told CGTN that Australia was the first country that committed to participate in the CIIE this November.  84 Australian companies have already committed to exhibit, covering 3,674 square meters of exhibition space. The minister says he will encourage more Australian companies to register for this landmark event as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

China has been Australia's largest trading partner for years and Australia is also a key trading partner for China. China is expected to import goods and services worth more than 10 trillion US dollars annually by 2023. "The Australia and China Free Trade Agreement which entered into force in 2015, has made a real difference for both Chinese and Australian firms, expanding and diversifying our trade and investment relationship," Ciobo said. "The scale and timing of CIIE is therefore ideal, allowing us to further highlight and unlock the potential commercial opportunities that China's growth provides."