Boats, technology on New Zealand minister's China agenda

New Zealand Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce will leave for China Tuesday on a mission to bolster marine and technology links between the two countries.

Joyce would attend the 20th annual China International Boat Show in Shanghai, where he would meet delegates of seven New Zealand companies exhibiting at the boat show and host a networking function between industry representatives and their Chinese partners and customers.

"The China International Boat Show is the largest marine industry showcase in China. It is a great opportunity for New Zealand companies to promote their cutting-edge products and technology and build relationships with like-minded companies and investors," Joyce said in a statement.

He would also attend the opening of a new Nuplex factory, which extended the New Zealand-listed chemical company's presence in China, and open the Shanghai offices of Primary Collaboration New Zealand, a coalition of New Zealand food and beverage companies.

"New Zealand companies are making major inroads in China across a range of industries and the opening of these two new facilities will further increase New Zealand's footprint in one of the largest markets in the world," Joyce said.

He would also visit the Shanghai Technology Innovation Centre.

Since the Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2008, New Zealand exports to China had more than tripled to reach 11.8 billion NZ dollars (8.88 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014, he said.

Joyce would return to New Zealand on April 11. Endi