The Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo, is currently on a three-day official visit to Shanghai. On Friday he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Austrade and the China International Import Expo Bureau.

A MoU between Austrade and CIIE Bureau is signed, May 18, 2018. (Photos: CGTN)

This is Steven Ciobo's 13th visit to China in the past three years. The major aim of this 3-day visit is to witness the signing of a MoU between Austrade and the CIIE Bureau. 

Steve Ciobo says his country will take this opportunity to present many of its best products and services to Chinese consumers, hoping to further improve Sino-Australian trade and relations.

Already 84 Australian companies have committed to joining the expo. 

They will take up almost 3,700 square meters of exhibition space. The minister says he will encourage more Australian companies to register for this landmark event to avoid missing out.

China is expected to import goods and services worth more than 10 trillion US dollars annually by 2023. This growing demand will inevitably lead to more cooperation in different sectors with its various trading partners. China is Australia’s largest trading partner, and Australia is also a key trading partner for China. Despite the tense bilateral relations over the past few months, Australian officials hope to take this opportunity to increase trade cooperation and improve ties at the same time.