Qingdao MoU Signing Tomorrow

Dunedin (Wednesday, 11 September 2013) – Officials from Qingdao, China, have rescheduled their flights home so they can visit Dunedin tomorrow.

A 15-member delegation from Qingdao, a major city in the Shandong Province in Eastern China, was due to fly from Auckland to Dunedin last night and spend today in the city.

However, uncertainty about whether the storms would prevent delegation members making their connecting flights to head back to Qingdao meant they decided not to fly to Dunedin.

Dunedin City Council Economic Development Unit Business Development Advisor Margo Reid says this afternoon delegation members decided to alter their travel plans so they could come to the city after all.

The main purpose of the Dunedin visit was for the Qingdao Bureau of Commerce of the Qingdao Municipal Government to sign an economic partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the DCC’s Economic Development Unit.

The MoU aims to further promote trade exchange and mutual investment between Dunedin and Qingdao and to offer a platform for business co-operation.

Mrs Reid says the DCC is delighted this important document will be signed in the presence of both groups tomorrow morning.

Some members of the delegation will also visit Fisher & Paykel tomorrow morning. The Haier Group, which is located in Qingdao, owns Fisher & Paykel and a Dunedin delegation had a tour of the Haier display centre during a visit to Shanghai in April this year.

The Qingdao delegation has been visiting Auckland (Qingdao’s sister city) and was invited by the DCC to also come to Dunedin. Instead of leaving for China this evening, the delegation will head home tomorrow.

ENDS

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