Major News

Dalian delegation visits Australia

By Guo Changdong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-04-06 09:52

Dalian Party Chief Xia Deren headed a delegation that visited Perth, the capital of Western Australia in March to introduce potential new business opportunities to business leaders in Australia.

The delegation on March 31 met with Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett and Barry John, speaker of the House of the Lords, along with other officials.

Xia introduced the city’s economical development strategy and proposed Dalian’s port, trade and educational developments as areas for potential partnerships with Australia. He said Dalian is a major port for importing wheat and ore from Australia, also soon will become the port for importing liquefied gas from Australia.

Barnet said he was impressed by Dalian’s cleanness, beauty and hospitality when he visited the city in 2009. He said the March visit by the Dalian delegation was important to business leaders in both countries eager to promote bilateral cooperation.

Xia and John attended a signing ceremony for a formal Letter of Intention on International Cooperation between Dalian and Western Australia, and also for a formal Letter of Intention for Establishing Friendly Relations between Dalian’s Lvshun District and Fremantle, a port city in Western Australia. The letters state that Dalian will cooperate with Western Australia in the areas of information-sharing, infrastructure development, port logistics and other joint endeavors.

Xia also visited the University of Western Australia and met University Professor Barry Marshall, who also is a past Nobel Prize winner for medicine.