On 13th March, Chinese Consul-General in Brisbane Dr RUAN Zongze met with Mayor of the Toowoomba Regional Council Cr Paul Antonio. Executive Management Officer Mr Michael Duff, Principal Economic Development Officer Mr Tony Bowman, International Secretariat Mrs Jane Morey and Deputy Consul-General Ms LI Suyun were present.

Dr Ruan said, after emerging from the unusual three years of COVID, China now takes economic development as our first priority. The Two Sessions have just closed in Beijing. We are confident to realize the around 5% GDP growth goal set at the conferences. China will keep enhancing high-level opening-up and mutual-beneficial trade cooperation with countries around the world. We welcome friends worldwide, including from Australia, to visit China and experience the development process of Chinese modernization. We attach importance to our friendship with Queensland and Toowoomba, and wish to promote our economic,education and tourism cooperation, as well as our people-to-people and local exchanges.

Mayor Antonio welcomed Consul-General’s visit and said, China is Australia’s largest trading partner. As the most important supply region and logistic centre for agricultural products, Toowoomba expects to restore trade and people-to-people exchanges with China. I’ve visited China three times and I’m very impressed. Toowoomba wishes to enhance cooperation with our sister city Yuecheng District of Shaoxing City in fields including economic, trade, education, sporting, etc. We also look forward to establishing sister city relationship with more Chinese cities.