The Western Australian Government and China’s key economic planning body have agreed to work together to promote bilateral business and investment.

The Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Western Australian Government and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) last week covering bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

“This is a very significant document as it will be the first ever MoU that the NDRC has signed with a non-national Government,” Barnett said in a statement.

“Exports from WA represent 73 percent of Australia’s exports to China, and 80 percent of China’s investment in Australia is in Western Australia," he said.

Barnett said both WA and China committed to support and encourage increased Chinese engagement in the development of key Western Australian industry sectors, and greater participation in key Chinese sectors by Western Australian companies and companies with strong commercial ties to WA.

“The MoU also establishes a China-Western Australia Investment Facilitation Working Group, which will bring Western Australian and Chinese officials together annually to discuss relevant issues such as local content policies, identifying key growth sectors and opportunities for joint development initiatives and opportunities to establish alliances between Chinese and WA businesses,” he said.

The Premier said the MoU covered sectors including resources; resources-related technologies; energy (including renewable energy); agriculture and food; machinery; chemicals; and infrastructure. The agreement could be extended to resources-related education and training in the future.

He said the China-Western Australia Investment Facilitation Working Group will meet annually in either Western Australia or China.

The NDRC oversees the restructuring of China’s economic system and formulates economic development policy, including China’s approach to key overseas investment markets, and it approves major infrastructure projects.

The commission reports directly to China’s highest executive body, the State Council of the People's Republic of China.