Today I will arrive in Beijing to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and China and to hold a series of key meetings and events to discuss the huge opportunities for our two countries in the decades ahead.
In the past four decades, both Australia and China have undergone extraordinary economic transformations, putting in place vital reforms and taking decisive action that has seen our economies become two of the strongest in the world.
Now, at the beginning of the Asian Century, the economic relationship between our two countries continues to strengthen and broaden, as both our countries continue to build on this reform record.
On my seventh visit to China as Treasurer I look forward to meeting with Chinese leaders including Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Chairman Zhang Ping of the National Development and Reform Commission and Governor Zhou Xiaochuan of the People's Bank of China. I will also return to the Central Party School, to address China's up and coming leaders on the eve of their graduation.
Chairman Zhang Ping and I will hold our 4th Treasury-NDRC dialogue. The dialogue is an important opportunity for us to discuss shared interests, as well as the outlooks for our domestic, regional and global economies at a time of ongoing global uncertainty, but also vast opportunities as the weight of global economic activity shifts to our region.
I will celebrate four decades of diplomatic relations by hosting, on behalf of the Australian Government, a gala dinner for senior leaders from the Chinese and Australian communities and others who have made significant contributions to the bilateral relationship. This will be one of the centerpieces of a series of events the Australian and Chinese governments are organising to mark this significant milestone in our relationship.
I will be accompanied on this trip by my Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Bernie Ripoll and a high-level delegation comprised of senior Australian businesspeople.
The Australia China Business Council will host a series of dialogues for these delegates and their Chinese counterparts across the fields of energy and resources, financial services and science and technology.
Like the far-sighted Whitlam Labor Government that first extended the hand of friendship to China, the Gillard Government is deepening our engagement in our region, including through the Asian Century White Paper, and by building more direct links and cooperation across our two Governments, business and broader communities.