China trip to court students

Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith is leading a 12-strong business delegation to China, Japan and Singapore that he is confident will bring economic benefits to Manawatu.

The team was expected to leave New Zealand on July 12 on the 19-day mission packed with 75 meetings in nine cities.

It would also mark the 25th anniversary of Palmerston North’s sister city relationship with Guiyang, a fast-growing city with a bigger population than New Zealand’s.

‘‘The benefits of south-west China are that it’s a really rewarding market for us with less international competition than in the east,’’ said Smith.

His costs for the tour were less than $8000, with savings gained through working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ‘‘and because of the hospitality we receive’’.

The delegation included city council international relations manager Toni Grace, Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Linda Stewart, Building Clever Companies (BCC) chief executive Dean Tilyard and representatives from Massey University, UCOL, Helisolutions, Bluesky Group, and Southern Cross International Import & Export.

Non-council participants were paying their own way.

International education will be a key focus of the visit, with the mayor to sign a new education cooperation agreement with Guiyang.

The team will also visit Chengdu, Kunshan and Shanghai in China.

A smaller group will continue on to visit Hiroshima and Okayama in Japan, home to IPU founder Mr Hiroshi Ohashi, where Smith will speak at a university open day.

‘‘And on our way back, it would have been silly not to stop over in Singapore, where the Institute of Technology already has a great relationship with Massey on aviation.’’

Alongside the tour, the council is launching shout-out videos, Ni Hao and Kia Ora, produced by Chris Murray and Richard Torres of Outpost Digital Media, and targeted toward Guiyang and Palmerston North’s other sister city of Missoula in Montana, USA.