Albo eyes tourism in six-day China trip
China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with the two-way goods and services trade larger than Australia's next three partners – Japan, South Korea and the United States – combined.
In what will be Mr Albanese's second trip to China since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Albanese will engage in a spot of football diplomacy and hold a media event on Sunday with the Shanghai Port Football Club, which is led by ex-Socceroos defender Kevin Muscat.
He will also visit the Shanghai headquarters of Trip.com – the world's largest online travel sit and the parent company behind Skyscanner, Qunar and MakeMyTrip.
In the 12 months to March 2025, 860,000 trips from mainland China to Australia were completed, representing a total spend valued at $9.2bn and about a quarter of total short-term international visitor spend in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will depart for China on Saturday. NewsWire/ Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia
Australia is China's largest market by spend and second in inbound tourist number behind New Zealand.
Chinese tourists were a top five visitor market for every state and territory bar the NT in 2024, and the top international visitor market in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
While figures have yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, Australia was relisted as an approved destination for Chinese group tours in September 2023, with more than 4500 trips organised by travel agents completed since.
Australia to China tourism levels have also surged by 73.6 per cent year-on-year to February 2025, with Aussie tourists eligible for visa-free travel for trips under 30 days.
'Australia's economic relationship with China is important, but so are the community links that underpin it and help build on it,' Mr Albanese said ahead of the visit.
'Whether that's our vibrant Australian-Chinese community, Australian footballers in Shanghai or Chinese tourists in Sydney.'
Tourism will also likely be a key issue during Mr Albanese's visit to Chengdu in the country's southwest, which is the birthplace of Xing Qiu and Yi Lan – the two giant pandas at Adelaide Zoo. Giant Pandas Xing Qiu and Yi Lan at Adelaide Zoo. ZoosSA Credit: Supplied They've called Adelaide Zoo their home since December 2024. ZoosSA Credit: Supplied
Trade talk will also be a key feature of talks, with the Business Council of Australia leading a delegation of leaders from the resources, banking and university sector for the Australia-China CEO Roundtable in Beijing.
On Friday, Mr Albanese again summarised Australia's relationship with the superpower as 'agreeing and co-operating where we can, disagreeing where we must, but engaging in our national interest'.
He said discussions will detail 'the full range of issues', with Australia also likely to speak about the detention of Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun and live fire drills undertaken by the Chinese navy in the Tasman Sea.
'Because engaging in our national interest is important for our security, to be able to raise issues in a one-on-one situation with the Chinese leadership,' he said.
'But of course, it's important for our economic relationship as well. The relationship with China means jobs in Australia. It's as simple as that.'
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