Celebrations with big sister
Wellington welcomes the year of the Dragon.
Celia Wade-Brown has just returned from a week-long visit to Hong Kong to attend the first off-shore performance of Wellington’s World of Wearable Arts and meet with business and tourism leaders. It is her second visit to Asia in six months. In July she led a business delegation to China and Japan and a third visit to Beijing is planned in May.
Wade-Brown says China is becoming increasingly important to Wellington and she wants to ensure the city is ready to take advantage of a growing Chinese economy.
“Wellington’s economy is finding prosperity in the creative and innovative sectors and with our trade links to Asian economies there is great opportunity to promote Wellington,” Wade-Brown says.
This year marks several important anniversaries in Wellington’s relationship with China. It is 40 years since Wellington opened diplomatic ties with the Peoples’ Republic of China, and 25 years since the first sister-city relationship between the Capital and a Chinese city, the southern port city of Xiamen. Six years ago Wellington entered a sister-city relationship with a second Chinese city, the Chinese capital, Beijing.
It is also ten years since the establishment of the New Zealand Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust, formed after the government apologised to the poll tax payers and their descendants.
Wade-Brown says China offers opportunity for Wellington’s business and creative industries, including tourism, the high-tech sector and tertiary education.
“There’s an exciting opportunity to tell Wellington’s story, as a destination for talent to work live and play.
Wade-Brown has invited Wellington businesses to contact her office to share ideas on how to promote Wellington in Asia.
Wellington celebrates Chinese New Year this weekend with a fireworks display at Frank Kitts Park on February 11, and on February 12 an Asian Market at the TSB Arena, a street parade, and cultural entertainment in Frank Kitts Park. To mark the 25th anniversary of Wellington’s sister-city relationship with Xiamen, the visiting Xiamen Culture Troupe is performing at various locations around the city including the TSB Arena, the NZ Music School and at Te Papa.
Have Your Say
1 Comment
Chris Robinson at 7:49 p.m. on 10 February said
Trade is fine, but with one country only, it is not very balanced.
Green/independent Mayor spends far too much time in China. (Three times in six months)/
If she had to pay from her own pocket perhaps she'd stay more at home, rather than using ratepayers money, in our view.
China has a poor environmental track record, is Celia Wade-Brown aware of fhis? How is this going to affect Wellington in the future?
As an ex Green member, it is amazing that she only looks one way.
When our environment becomes compromised, she'll be out of her high profile job, perhaps picking up the pieces of her short term views and enjoyable trips to China.