On the morning of March 25th, Mr. Zhong Mian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, managing vice governor of Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, in Chengdu met Mr. John McKinnon, the New Zealand Ambassador to China.

　　Mr. Zhong Mian extended his sincere gratitude towards Mr. John McKinnon for his choosing Sichuan as his first stop besides Beijing and welcome Mr. John McKinnon to attend the 92nd China Food and Drinks Fair. He mentioned that in recent years, under the background that the relationship between China and New Zealand was undergoing smoothly, the cooperation and exchange between New Zealand and Sichuan has been deepening. Last November, Mr. John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited Sichuan and attended the opening ceremony of New Zealand Consulate-General Chengdu, signifying the cooperation between New Zealand and Chengdu has stepped into a new stage.

　　Mr. Zhong Mian also introduced that Sichuan has been encountered with a series of major development opportunities, including “One Belt and One Road”, Tianfu New District as national level new district, the approval of Chengdu new airport. He sincerely hoped that both sides could take Mr. John McKinnon’s visit as a chance to fully play the platform role of New Zealand Consulate-General Chengdu and promote the cooperation of local governments in fields such as exchanges, trade, education, culture, technology and so on to achieve new results.

　　Mr. John McKinnon indicated that New Zealand has attached much attention on the important position of Sichuan in Western China and highlighted developing friendly cooperation with Sichuan. China and New Zealand have set ambitious goals in developing bilateral relationship. New Zealand hopes that Sichuan could play much more important role in the process. Sichuan has promising prospects in “One Belt and One Road” strategy. New Zealand government would encourage more New Zealand enterprises to focus on and invest in Sichuan and spare no efforts to promote the practical cooperation between Sichuan and New Zealand to gain more achievements.

　　Mr. Alistair Crozier, New Zealand Consulate-General, Chengdu, and Mr. Zhang Jiyong, deputy director of Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Sichuan Province, also attended the meeting.