Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has unveiled her government’s new China Strategy in Beijing, declaring it marks “a new chapter of an old story” built on friendship, education and shared prosperity.
“This is my third visit to China, but my first as Premier of Victoria,” Allan said at the launch of the strategy.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jacinta Allan and I come from Big Gold Mountain – the city of Bendigo. The world where I grew up was shaped by Chinese migrants.”
The Premier launched the China Strategy: For a New Golden Era before senior Chinese officials and Victoria’s Chinese community leaders, describing it as a plan to strengthen economic, cultural and educational ties over the next five years.
“Victoria today looks very different from the 1850s, but there’s one thing it still has in common. Around one in 15 Victorians is Chinese,” she said.
“Our Chinese community are our neighbours, friends and family – and within the China-Victoria relationship, they are our navigators.”
Allan made education the centrepiece of the new strategy. “I want to be clear about my top three priorities: education, education and education,” she said.
“Victoria is the Education State – that’s what it says on the number plates of our cars.”
Highlighting more than 140 partnerships between Victorian and Chinese institutions, the Premier confirmed that a new Education Working Group had been formally established between Victoria and China.
“It’s our chance for two-way exchanges between teachers and students, joint vocational programs, sharing of language and culture, supporting students with a disability, and more.”
She also announced the revival of the Hamer Scholarships, with $10,000 grants for students from regional Victoria to study in China.
“Regional kids deserve a clear shot at experiencing something that will profoundly shape their lives.”
The Premier emphasised China’s importance as Victoria’s largest trading partner and number one source of international visitors. “In 2024, two-way merchandise was valued at almost 200 billion Yuan,” she said.
“Once the ships were filled with tea and textiles. Today, they are filled with the goods that support our lifestyles and our livelihoods.”
The new strategy identifies six priority sectors: agribusiness, health and life sciences, creative industries and sport, tourism, clean energy, and public transport.
On agriculture, Allan noted: “Victoria is just three per cent of Australia’s landmass, but we produce 27 per cent of Australian food and fibre export value. Whether it’s our Goulburn fruit or our Gippsland beef, our brand is fine, fresh and premium – and it’s found a market in China.”
On clean energy, she said China’s rapid transition was transforming Victoria too.
“China installs 100 solar panels every second. Its extraordinary energy transition has changed the world forever – and Victoria is benefiting.”
Victoria is the only Australian state with two Chinese sister-state relationships – Jiangsu since 1979 and Sichuan since 2016 – supported by 20 sister-city and 86 sister-school links. “Our goal is to become the first port of call for Chinese business to innovate and invest, and the destination of choice for Chinese people to visit and study,” Allan said.
“That’s a win for jobs and stability in an increasingly uncertain world.”
Framing the strategy as both practical and symbolic, she concluded: “In Victoria, we have not turned our backs to China – we have turned to face it. Just like gold paved the streets of my hometown in the 1800s, today we enter a new golden era of prosperity – together with the people of China.”
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