By Chip Le Grand

Copyright theage

At the end of a China trip punctuated by an agreement between Jacinta Allan and Beijing’s education minister to boost student exchanges, the Victorian premier concedes her government has work to do at home to ensure universities deliver their end of the bargain.

Revealing further details of her meeting with Huai Jinpeng in Beijing, Allan says the pair spoke about international education being “the truest form of securing the future” between two countries co-dependent in trade but geostrategically at odds.

“When you have got kids learning language and culture, through education opportunities, they are building trust, they are building collegiality, they are building friendship that are going to provide a more secure world into the future because they understand one another,” Allan told The Age shortly before flying back to Melbourne.

“Too much of what we have seen written and commented about China is driven by conservative politicians who are telling people every day that China is bad for people. I say jobs and relationships are good for people. That is what our future relationship with China looks like.”