From 22 October – 1 November 2024, the Governor participated in an Official Visit to Japan and China.
The visit was an opportunity to strengthen ties with China and Japan, which are Victoria’s largest and third-largest trading partners respectively, as well as a chance to reinforce Victoria’s sister-state partnerships with Aichi Prefecture and Sichuan Province.
Key themes
Supporting trade and investment relationships
The Governor’s Official Visit to Japan featured tours of several innovative Japanese organisations, including a meeting with the Global Chief Technology Officer of Fujitsu and a tour of the recently opened startup incubator, STATION Ai.
The Governor also visited the Toyota Technological Institute, where she toured the laboratories and teaching facilities before meeting with staff and students.
In China, the Governor visited Qinci Games Studios – offering an insight into the company’s expansion into Victoria.
At a ‘Friends of Victoria’ event in Beijing, hosted by Victoria’s Commissioner to Greater China, the Governor gave a speech to an audience of business stakeholders, alumni, and members of the Australian and Victorian community in Beijing.
The Governor’s engagement also extended to cultural institutions. The Governor visited the Seikado Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo as well as the Palace Museum in Beijing discuss the possibilities to further extend collaborations with Victoria’s cultural institutions.
Representing Victoria abroad
In Japan, the Governor represented Victoria at the 61st Annual Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference in Nagoya, after Melbourne had hosted the Conference the previous year.
During the Conference, the Governor met with the Chair of Japan-Australia Business Cooperation Committee and attended the official reception, opening ceremony and official dinner.
The Governor also met with the President and the CEO of the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee, as well as with senior Japanese officials to discuss the relationship between Japan and Victoria.
In China, the Governor attended 25th China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education, at which she represented Victoria at the plenary session.
The Governor gave a keynote address and reflected on the benefits of international education and Victoria’s important contribution to the sector.
Strengthening Victoria’s sister-state relationships
The Official Visit included two of Victoria’s sister-states – Aichi Prefecture in Japan and Sichuan Province in China.
Ahead of the 45th anniversary of the sister-state relationship in 2025, the Governor met the NAME Governor of Aichi Prefecture and attended a dinner hosted by His Excellency in honour of her Official Visit to Japan.
The Governor also met with the Mr Masaharu Shinkai, Vice-Chairperson of the Aichi Prefectural Assembly and visited Nagoya Castle, an officially designated National Historic Site in Aichi.
China is home to Victoria’s newest sister-state in the province of Sichuan. Alongside Jiangsu, this makes Victoria the only State in Australia that has two sister-state relationships with China.
On her Official Visit to China, the Governor met with the Chairperson of the Sichuan Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
The Governor visited the Sichuan International Tennis Centre where she met with officials and players for the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off to explore future collaboration in sports and major events to strengthen bilateral ties.
Victoria is home to several major international sporting events including the Australian Open, one of only four major tennis tournaments in the international Grand Slam tennis circuit.
The Governor’s time in Sichuan concluded with a visit to the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base - another key institution of Victoria’s sister-state.