Premier Gladys Berejiklian took to strengthening China's love affair with NSW as she met with the country's second most powerful leader in Sydney.
"It's an absolute pleasure to meet with you personally but also to welcome the provincial leaders," Ms Berejiklian said, as she sat down with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during their first official meeting on Saturday evening.
Those leaders were able to have "very fruitful discussions" at the second China-Australia State/Provincial Leaders' Forum in Sydney on Friday, she said.
China is NSW's largest two-way trading partner in goods, and trade was understood to be high on the agenda during the brief 20-minute meeting with Premier Li.
The Emerald City's appeal to Chinese tourists was also not lost on the premier.
"NSW and in particular Sydney are no strange names to the Chinese people," Premier Li said, as he pointed out that he had stopped by the city on all three of his Australia visits.
Ms Berejiklian will return the favour in December to attend the NSW-Guangdong Joint Economic Meeting, it was later announced.
She will also lead a delegation to Guangdong touring business centres and tech hubs across the country in her first official visit as premier.
The trip would be a "clear sign of our continued strong friendship with the People's Republic of China," Ms Berejiklian said.
Education and tourism remain key trade sectors in NSW, with Chinese tourists spending $2.7 billion in the year to September 2016.
Chinese students represent more than 40 per cent of higher education international enrolments.
