NSW Labor leader explains free China trip

Chris Minns says in 2015 he was looking to see how Australia could prosper from the relationship and both countries have changed in the intervening years.

The trip was funded by now-exiled Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo, a property developer who was heavily involved in Australian politics who fronted the Australia-Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, before becoming the subject of an Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation.

Mr Huang's links with then-Labor senator Sam Dastyari ended his political career in 2018 and his citizenship and permanent residency was cancelled by ASIO in 2019.

"(The ICAC) revelations were only publicly investigated two years ago," Mr Minns told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday.

The Labor leader said the trip to Hong Kong and China was "almost exclusively about trade" and he had "absolutely not" had any contact with Mr Huang since.

He apologised for using his maiden speech to NSW parliament - delivered shortly after his visit to China - to call for Mandarin to be taught to all school children.

"It was a mistake on my part, one I regret," Mr Minns said.

"At the time I was looking at the economic size of China, the growth of their economy, the potential.

"I realised even a small fraction of trade with China would bring billions into the Australian economy, the NSW economy. But I was wrong."

The remarks came just a year after President Xi Jinping had been elected, before the protests in Hong Kong and before the "coerced labour of Uyghurs".

"Obviously Australia has changed since then and China has changed since then," Mr Minns said.

Federal shadow treasurer Chris Bowen also attended the trip and completed a declaration of interests in 2015.

Mr Minns did not declare the trip, as he was newly elected and a clerk from the state's Legislative Assembly informed him it was not required.

Other politicians, including some from the coalition, had at the time taken trips to China, Mr Minns added.

Australian Associated Press