“Again,I’m not saying that’s a good thing. That’s a very different system. The notion that if you’d been there you ... would have been able to have a long chat or any chat to the people I met with,that would not have happened. That’s never happened.”
Andrews spoke with the Department of Foreign Affairs and trade leaders before his trip and also with Australia’s eastern and western consuls-general in China.
But he said the state’s Big Build project,which comprises major road and rail works,was not discussed during his visit as it was not part of the higher education or trade fields.
Pesutto on Sunday said he supported the premier’s trade mission but argued Victorians were entitled to greater transparency.
“It’s not good enough that you can travel anywhere,not[take] media with you,not explain the full itinerary,” Pesutto said.
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The opposition leader notedWest Australian Premier Mark McGowan’s trade mission to China this week will be accompanied by journalists.
Pesutto said the Coalition would push for an inquiry into Andrews’ trip to “make sure this doesn’t happen again”.
He said he wanted to travel to China as opposition leader and would be “more than happy” to take media on any international visit.
Andrews declined to engage with past criticism directed at the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries,after he met with the organisation’s vice-president last week.
The association has previously faced criticism as a soft power arm of the Chinese government in the United States,including from then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo and US intelligence agencies.
“I see some commentary from Donald Trump’s former secretary of state and I’m not having a debate with him,” Andrews said on Sunday.
“More generally,he’s not in any position to be lecturing Victoria on what we should or shouldn’t do.”
With Annika Smethurst
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