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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wraps up Australia visit following trade talks

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's Australia visit will come to an end on Sunday as he prepares to fly out of Sydney.

Crowd gathers to welcome the Chinese Premier and to protest

After four days of trade talk, diplomacy and a footy game, China's second most powerful leader Premier Li Keqiang is set to wrap up his visit to Australia.

Strengthening trade ties were high on the agenda for Premier Li and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the trip, which was the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years.

The two leaders announced a major beef export deal set to bolster Australia's billion dollar chilled beef export market - which is already worth $600 million a year in exports to China.

The bi-lateral talks also included agreements to boost free trade, "liberalisation" and higher education links while a series of forums attended by Australian state and territory and Chinese provincial leaders was held.

On Saturday, the pair took time out from talking trade to watch the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide Power at the SCG.

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There was no meat pie but Mr Li was given a good a preview of the game before the Power meet Gold Coast for the first AFL premiership match on Chinese soil in May.

The premier also spent some time meeting with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday.

Ms Berejiklian announced she would return the favour and visit China in December to attend the NSW-Guangdong Joint Economic Meeting and lead a delegation to Guangdong touring business centres and tech hubs across China.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, while in NSW alone Chinese tourists spent $2.7 billion in the year to September 2016.

Mr Li is expected to be farewelled by government dignitaries when he departs from Sydney International Airport on Sunday morning.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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