Boost for trade with Chinese province

Shangdong Wine and Vine Association representative Hu Wenxiao shakes hands with New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan after signing a memorandum of understanding. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The region has strengthened ties with a key export destination, China's Shandong Province, through new deals signed at the weekend.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule met with Shangdong Province Vice-Governor Mr Ji Xiangqi at Villa Maria Estate in Auckland on Saturday night.

Two memoranda of understanding were signed, one between Hawke's Bay Winegrowers and the Shangdong Wine and Vine Association, and another between Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) and Qilu University of Technology.

At the signing were New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan, representing Hawke's Bay Winegrowers, and EIT CEO Chris Collins on behalf of EIT.

Mr Yule said the memoranda signified increased co-operation between Hawke's Bay and Shandong Province in fields such as wine science and student exchanges.

The deals were "a very positive development" following Mr Yule's first visit to Shangdong Province 18 months ago.

He had returned to China three times since, to support Hawke's Bay exports.

"This province is particularly significant for Hawke's Bay and we are doing lots of trade there."

Next year he expected to sign, on behalf of Hastings, a friendship agreement with Dezhou City in Shangdong Province, which is described as "the solar energy capital of China". It had been suggested Hawke's Bay's sunny weather and long sunshine hours could allow it to become a solar energy hub for Australasia, borrowing expertise from the Chinese city.

Shangdong Province, with its population of about 98 million people, had become a major export destination for Hawke's Bay, he said. The region was exporting more wine there than to any other part of the world.