Business leaders have travelled from across China to welcome Queensland’s Premier and other dignitaries to the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.
A reception ahead of the Expo’s opening was attended by some of Queensland’s biggest investors in resources and tourism.
During the evening Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hosted high level business leaders to hear about plans to support new job creating tourism and resource developments with billions of dollars of investment.
Among them:
- Fullshare Holdings Group provided an update on their plans to further develop the Sheraton Mirage at Port Douglas and the $2 billion Laguna Quays development in the Whitsundays which will attract thousands of new tourists and support new jobs.
- Songcheng talked about their proposals on the Gold Coast for a theme park and residential development.
- Yuexing provided an update on plans to upgrade the Keppel Cove Resort in Central Queensland including upgrades to the golf club resort and precincts.
- China Capital Investment Group provided an overview on hundreds of millions of dollars of investments planned for South Molle Island next year and the development of Daydream Island both in the Whitsundays.
Since the relaxation of the ‘one child’ policy demand for quality childcare is booming and companies are also hoping to use Queensland’s childcare industry to train workers for centres across China.
"The clear message at this meeting was that businesses want to invest in Queensland and are very optimistic about the outlook for our economy," the Premier said.
The city of Shanghai is home to 24 million and has always been a centre of trade but never more than this week when 2,800 companies from 130 countries are attending the Expo.
The Premier is leading a delegation of 14 Queensland businesses hoping to expand into the extra ordinary growth of the Chinese market.
China is Queensland’s biggest customer spending over $24 billion on Queensland goods and services this year and one of the biggest demands for services is from overseas students studying in Queensland.
"We are a State that is looking outwards to create new jobs and industries through trade,’ the Premier said.
"Just this week new figures revealed 500,000 Chinese tourists came to Queensland last year.
"We are increasingly a destination of choice for Chinese tourists and a market with a middle class set to grow by 850 million by 2030.
"Demand for minerals such as copper are also increasing as the world turns to battery technology and renewable energy.
"These meetings are reinforcing that Queensland’s best days are ahead of us."
