Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is embarking on official visits to Brazil and China aimed at increasing trade and fostering relations between New Zealand’s largest city and countries with a combined population of over 1.6 billion.

He will be supporting senior delegations of Auckland-based business leaders seeking to promote their products in these key markets.

The potential creation of a dedicated passenger and freight air link between Asia, Auckland and South America – the Southern Cross trade connection, also known as Southern Link - will be a key discussion point on both legs.

“Trade between China and Brazil totals around $490 billion annually – there is a huge opportunity for Auckland to tap into that with an air link that stops here and allows our businesses to get their products into these markets reliably, quickly and cost-effectively,” Mayor Brown said.

“This is all about driving new investment in Auckland and helping companies based here to tap into export opportunities.

“We have to be proactive and unapologetic about reaching out, building links and letting the world know that Auckland is a thriving and progressive place that welcomes trade and investment.

“I’m very pleased to have a number of Auckland-based business leaders joining me at their own expense who see value and opportunity in taking our city to the world.

“Modern Auckland is a cultural melting pot – we are a Pacific city in Asia, with more than 170,000 people who identify as Chinese alone living here. It’s important to keep reinforcing that we are proud, outward-looking people wanting to participate in the world around us.”

The Mayor is well-acquainted with both countries, having been to Brazil on several occasions and written a book that was translated into Portuguese and sold well in Brazil. He has also led business delegations to China while he had his own interests.

In 2008, he was invited by then-Prime Minister Rt Hon Helen Clark to travel to Beijing for the signing of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, where a particular highlight was attending the formal lunch to celebrate the signing with Premier Wen Jiabao.

He is an official invited guest of the New Zealand Government whilst in Brazil, departing October 20 and returning October 25. It will be the first time an Auckland Mayor has made an official visit to Brazil, with a population well in excess of 200 million.

He will accompany Trade Minister Todd McClay to a bilateral meeting with the Vice-Governor of São Paulo and participate in an economic and business briefing.

There will also be a roundtable event hosted by NZ Trade and Enterprise, a partnership signing between New Zealand companies and their Brazilian customers and a NZ Business Technology Showcase featuring local companies in the technology and manufacturing sectors.

The Mayor will return to Auckland before travelling to China on 31 October, leading a delegation of New Zealand business leaders for a series of official events.

It will be the first time in five years an official delegation from Auckland has gone to China – New Zealand’s biggest export market worth more than $20 billion annually.

He will have meetings with members of the Hainan Government in Haikou, support Auckland businesses exhibiting at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, meet the China Chamber of Commerce in Ningbo, meet the Mayor of Ningbo and speak at a function in Guangzhou recognising 35 years of Auckland’s sister city relationship.

While in Guangzhou, the Mayor will visit Auckland companies with operations there, including Zuru, before attending the International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference in Chengdu at the invitation of the Sichuan Government.

The Mayor will be taking a particular interest in China’s approach to rapid infrastructure development - noting it has rolled out 46,000km of high-speed rail in under 20 years – and will look for opportunities for Auckland to benefit from better, faster and cheaper delivery methods.

He will stop briefly in Tokyo en-route back to Auckland for a meeting with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and attend part of the 50th Japan-New Zealand Business Council Conference before returning to Auckland on 17 November.

The travel has been approved by the chair of council’s audit committee and complies with council rules. One Mayoral Office staff member will accompany the Mayor on each leg and the total cost is expected to be around $75,000, with business delegates meeting their own travel costs.

Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson will be Acting Mayor in Mayor Brown’s absence.

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