The Allan Labor Government will focus on strengthening valuable ties with two key international partners when Deputy Premier Ben Carroll visits China and Singapore this week.
On the seven-day trip, the Deputy Premier will meet with government and industry leaders to drive trade and
investment and promote Victoria's world-leading capabilities in medical research and education.
The Deputy Premier will spend two days in Singapore to meet with policymakers and industry leaders across the education, innovation and medical research sectors.
Singapore is considered a world leader in the education sector and inspired the establishment of Australia's first Academy of Teaching and Leadership which gives Victorian teachers access to the latest research to develop and grow their skills.
In addition to Beijing and Shanghai, the Deputy Premier will also visit Nanjing in China's east to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Victoria's sister-state relationship with Jiangsu Province - deepening this historic partnership and
exploring new ways to collaborate.
Victoria is the proud home to a large Chinese community with around 427,500 Victorians having Chinese ancestry. China is also Victoria's biggest trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $38.8 billion.
In the year ending March 2024, Victoria welcomed about 280,000 Chinese visitors to our shores. In the 2023 calendar year, more than 56,000 Chinese students were enrolled in Victorian universities.
Victorian is home to Singapore's largest Australian community, and the island nation is our sixth-largest trading partner, valued at $6.6 billion, and is our largest source of foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia.
This is the Deputy Premier's first visit to China and Singapore since taking up the role. He previously travelled to China in 2018 as the Minister for Industry and Employment.
As stated by Deputy Premier Ben Carroll
"Victoria's relationships with China and Singapore are driven by our deep people-to-people connections, shared understanding of the importance of education and strong industry partnerships.
"I am proud to continue building Victoria's bilateral relationships and championing the extraordinary knowledge, innovation and creativity of our state on this visit to China and Singapore."
