Guangdong trade delegation to visit New South Wales

A government and business delegation organized by the Guangdong government will visit Australia's New South Wales later this year to facilitate economic and cultural cooperation, a senior local official said on Monday.

Zhao Yufang, vice-governor of Guangdong, said the visit will be of great importance to boosting economic and trade ties between Guangdong and Australia as the province tries to revive a maritime trade route.

"We will boost cooperation with Australia, which is one of the important countries situated along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, as the country has abundant natural resources and is one of the global leaders in technology," Zhao said.

Zhao made the remarks during the China-Australia Economic Forum on Monday, which was organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Zhao said that Guangdong welcomes investment from Australia in the high-tech, modern agriculture, finance and logistics sectors.

"Also, companies based in Guangdong are encouraged to invest in Australia to expand cooperation in manufacturing, research and development and brand building," Zhao said.

The import and export value between Guangdong, an economic powerhouse in South China, and Australia grew 8.4 percent year-on-year to 89.3 billion yuan ($14.4 billion) last year, according to Zhao.