English to visit China, attend Bo’ao Forum

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bill English leaves for China on Wednesday, where he will attend the annual Bo’ao Forum for Asia and meet senior government and business leaders in Beijing and Shanghai.

The Bo’oa Forum, to be hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, brings together government, business and academic leaders from across Asia. It aims to promote regional economic integration.

“This is an important gathering of political and business leaders from across the Asia region - an area of significant and growing importance to New Zealand,” Mr English says.

“I’m particularly looking forward to hosting a session at the forum and speaking on the benefits of the New Zealand - China Free Trade Agreement.

“China is now the world’s second largest economy and New Zealand is fortunate to have access to this huge market through the free trade agreement. Our exports to China have almost doubled since the FTA was signed in 2008.”

After attending the Bo’oa Forum on Thursday and Friday this week, Mr English will host a meeting of business leaders at Bo’ao on Saturday. He will then travel to Beijing, where he will call on Vice President Xi Jinping, Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Finance Minister Xie Xuren and People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.

Mr English will host a business breakfast and an investor lunch in Shanghai, before returning to New Zealand on 20 April.