Qingdao Delegation Visit Cancelled

Dunedin (Wednesday, 11 September 2013) – Stormy conditions across the country yesterday meant a Chinese delegation visit to Dunedin was cancelled.

A 15-member delegation from Qingdao, a major city in the Shandong Province in Eastern China, was due to fly 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 today meant they decided not to fly to Dunedin.

Dunedin City Council Economic Development Unit Business Development Advisor Margo Reid says the delegation was due to leave Dunedin this afternoon for Auckland and then fly to Qingdao later today.

The Qingdao delegation has been visiting Auckland (Qingdao’s sister city) and was invited by the DCC to also come to Dunedin.

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 MoU would still be signed as soon as possible by both parties.

EDU staff have spoken to the Director-General of the Qingdao Bureau of Commerce, Mr Ma Weigang. The delegation has strong hopes of visiting Dunedin in the near future and invited DCC representatives to come to Qingdao.

“Both parties wish to build a strong economic partnership and rewarding relationship between the two cities,” Mrs Reid says.

Future visits will build on links formed when a Dunedin delegation visited Shanghai and Qingdao in April this year.

ENDS

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