Talks prepare ground for China trade negotiations

By FRAN O'SULLIVAN

When Prime Minister Helen Clark met Chinese President Hu Jintao in Auckland last year, she could not have dreamed that a year later the pair would unveil plans for a free-trade agreement.

But the Clark Government's pragmatic move to recognise China as a market economy - which the US disputes - has seen this tiny country leap more powerful nations, such as Australia, to be on track as the first developed nation to open FTA talks with China.

Negotiations on the FTA are expected to be announced by Hu and Clark at the Santiago Apec meeting in November.

This is a huge business opportunity for New Zealand to get a first-mover advantage with a rapidly developing nation of 1.3 billion people. But no one expects the Chinese to be anything other than tough negotiators.

A conference in Auckland tomorrow will examine the China FTA.

Experienced political, diplomatic and business experts have been arrayed for tomorrow's event.

Among them: Former World Trade Organisation Director-General Mike Moore, who was in the chair when China acceded to the WTO; Charles Finny, who heads MFat's China FTA taskforce, and his counterpart, Chinese Ministry of Commerce official Jiang Shan, who will report progress on joint feasibility study.

The conference

The Gateway to China conference will be held at Auckland's Hyatt Hotel tomorrow.

For more information call the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce on (09) 309-6100, or email events@chamber.co.nz



The Herald, which is a newsmedia partner for this event, will also provide conference coverage in Thursday's Business Herald.

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