Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs

21 May 2007

New Zealand Centre opens in Beijing

Today's opening of the New Zealand Centre at Peking University gives Chinese and New Zealanders a place to exchange ideas of mutual benefit to both countries, says Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

The Centre is a joint initiative between Peking University and the University of Auckland, supported by the governments and businesses in both countries.

It will provide a forum for government, academia and business to discuss policy developments and national strategies in areas such as economic transformation, innovation, and culture and identity.

"Combining the knowledge base of these two prestigious universities is timely. Both countries recognise that an innovative, highly skilled, knowledge economy is the best way to raise living standards," said Mr Peters, who officially opened the Centre in Beijing today.

“Traditional economic policies would not have delivered China the extraordinary transformation that we see in Beijing today. New Zealand, for its part, must constantly look for new ideas, concepts, and ways of doing things if we are to share in the growth and success of the Asia region.

"The New Zealand Centre is ideally positioned to become a meeting point for New Zealand and Chinese. It will promote the exchange of knowledge, skills, and research through under-graduate courses, conferences, workshops, special projects, and student and staff exchanges.

"The Centre is also further proof of the rapidly expanding partnership between China and New Zealand.

"Our political leaders meet regularly; our scientists work together on new and exciting research; our students are found in significant numbers in each other's classrooms, and New Zealand businesses are increasingly finding that China is an inescapable part of their growth plans," Mr Peters said.

ENDS

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