Wellington - Tianjin Business Seminar

The Wellington - Tianjin Business Seminar attracted large support across diverse industries such as education, television, commerce and development.

The Tianjin economy is a powerhouse of economic activity and trade for China and the global economy. With 12 million people and foreign direct investment in 2010 valued at $7.2billion $USD, ongoing strong GDP growth projected for Tianjin. Tianjin's attractiveness to global companies is witnessed by the 22,000 foreign industries directly investing in Tianjin.

Tianjin believes there are significant opportunities for the relationship to grow and prosper around education and service industries.

Mayor Wade-Brown said she would be working with the business community and Chamber of Commerce on returning to Wellington to make progress in these areas. She was excited by the scale of opportunities available to Wellington businesses, and the role they could play in the continued success of the Tianjin economy. She was particularly pleased to see the warm and friendly relationships that the Gibson Group had established with Tianjin television.

Meeting with National Ocean Technology Centre - Tianjin
The Mayor and John Huckerby visited the National Ocean Technology Centre to discuss potential ongoing relationships and collaborations with the centre (refer to page 32 of briefing book for further details).

The Centre has a strong focus on international collaborations, and foresees greater opportunities between Wellington and Tianjin possible. The Centre commented on the attention and protection Wellington had on its marine and coastal environment.

Further discussions between Wellington, AWATEA and the National Ocean Technology Centre will look to establish stronger links with key institutions in Wellington - NIWA, Victoria and Massey University and also look to research exchanges between Tianjin and Wellington.

Both parties foresee the exciting opportunity around a Wellington Marine and Energy testing centre. Mayor Wade-Brown said that Wellington offered a wonderful environment for such a centre, being the capital and having strong links to institutions and marine organisations.

Our visit was incredibly timely, given that the State Oceanic Administration on 21 July completed its first trial of a manned submarine plunging to a depth of more than 4,000m. This is the first successful trial of this in the world. The Centre plans to test the submarine at a depth of 5,000m later this year. This successful trial brings new opportunities to the protection and management of marine resources.

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