Minister for Investment and Trade Martin Hamilton-Smith yesterday returned from a week’s visit to SA’s sister state Shandong Province in preparation for more business exchanges to build the state’s exports with China.

“Our efforts are focused on maintaining a platform that we have built to support commercial engagement for South Australia’s current and future exporters,” Hamilton-Smith said.

“It is vitally important that both regions have the opportunity to work together on this significant milestone as we go forward.

“To get ahead in a competitive world, we need to build South Australia’s international connections, alliances and exports to a new level.

“Our future prosperity depends upon it.”

As the state recalibrates with the traditional manufacturing and mining industries winding down, more focus has been placed on building small to medium businesses with export potential.

The flow-on effects, the Government anticipates, will be some medium businesses expanding enough to start filling the gaps left in SA by resources and manufacturing.

This plan took another step during the week when the team met with the Australian Embassy in Beijing to outline the Government’s relationship with Shandong and to reaffirm the focus of the South Australia-China Engagement Strategy.

“Our continued collaboration with China will help boost exports and create jobs, particularly so when the China Free Trade Agreement comes into full effect,” Hamilton-Smith said.

“The State Government wants to ensure South Australian businesses are on the front foot in our efforts to engage with the region.”

Hamilton-Smith, with state investment and trade advisers, met with the Vice-Governor of Shandong Province, Xia Geng, and Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce and Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, to discuss the regions’ ongoing relationship.

Martin Hamilton-Smith builds SA relations in China.

“This plan supports South Australia and Shandong’s sister-state relationship as it continues to grow under the China Free Trade Agreement framework,” he said.

“As part of the plan, we have agreed to jointly build a sustainable relationship that will give priority to our regions when providing facilitation and enabling conditions for two-way trade, mutual investment and personnel exchange.”

Hamilton-Smith said more than food and wine was on the trade agenda.

“We will continue to discuss a broader reciprocal cultural and arts program as well as a sporting program which will encourage greater engagement between our sister-states in these areas.”

This week’s visit paves the way for further SA delegations to China, the first in April, that will be more trade-focussed.

Earlier this month, Premier Jay Weatherill invited representatives from agriculture, food, wine, education, research, mining, health, tourism, water and waste technology, urban planning, design and e-commerce industries to apply for the mission.

Delegates for the business program to Shandong will be selected from late February.