Canberra
Prime Minister Julia Gillard will lead the most senior Australian political delegation ever to visit China during a bilateral visit from 5 to 10 April 2013.
The Prime Minister will participate in the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, an important annual gathering of Asian political and business leaders, and will meet China's new President and Premier.
The visit will be Ms Gillard's second to China as Prime Minister.
She will be accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr, and the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, Dr Craig Emerson, who is responsible for Asian Century Policy, Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.
The Prime Minister will also be joined by the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation, Bill Shorten, who is leading a superannuation and financial services delegation to China.
The Gillard Government is committed, as outlined in the Australia in the Asia Century White Paper, to a stronger and more comprehensive relationship with China.
During her visit, the Prime Minister will promote Australia's rapidly growing trade, investment, education, research and people-to-people links with China.
China is Australia's largest trading partner with two-way goods and services trade worth $128 billion in 2011-12.
China is also Australia's largest source of overseas students, with around 150,000 enrolments in 2012, and the second largest source of overseas visitors, with more than 626,000 arrivals in 2012.
The Prime Minister will meet President Xi Jinping at the Bo'ao Forum and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing to discuss how the two countries can strengthen this vital and growing relationship.
She will also discuss a range of common interests, including cooperation in the G20, East Asia Summit, APEC and the United Nations Security Council, climate change, and Asian security issues.
At the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, Ms Gillard will meet other international leaders, address the plenary session and discuss trade and investment issues with senior Australian and Chinese figures.
The Prime Minister will visit Shanghai to advance Australia's interest in closer engagement with China in the banking and finance sector.
In Shanghai, Ms Gillard will also address one of China's top leadership academies, the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong.
In Beijing, the Prime Minister will engage with the Australia-China CEO Roundtable, the premier business forum between the two countries, and deliver a keynote address at an event hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce.