West Australian leader Mark McGowan has earmarked a “reconnection” tour of trading partners Korea, Japan, and China after the state’s international borders are eased next year. The pledge comes amid ongoing tensions in bilateral Australia-China ties and as Western Australia (WA) prepares to keep its tough border restrictions in place over the Christmas period. On the weekend, McGowan told the West Australian newspaper that he would jet off to the three countries to bolster trade links. Currently, China is the state’s largest trade partner by far, accounting for 54.7 percent of WA’s exports—particularly mineral exports—outstripping the second-largest trading partner Japan, which received 8.4 percent of exports. Premier McGowan has also been vocal in promoting the state’s relationship with Beijing. In October, McGowan attended an event commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), where he touted the state’s strong economic performance—driven by China trade—during the …