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Delegation Firms Up Agenda For Japan And China Visit

Meetings with Mitsui & Co, owners of the Hazelwood and Loy Yang B power stations; and Kirin Holdings, owner of National Foods, are on the agenda for a small delegation visiting China and Japan from Latrobe City Council later this month.

By Latrobe City Council - 11th September 2009 - Back to News

The delegation, which leaves in the last week of September, will also visit Latrobe’s sister cities of Takasago in Japan and Taizhou in China.

Latrobe City mayor, Cr Lisa Price will lead the delegation, accompanied by council’s chief executive officer Paul Buckley, and three council officers from the economic development and international relations departments.

Cr Price said the delegation has also confirmed meetings in China with the Jiangsu Economic and Trade Commission in Nanjing; the China Coal Research Institute in Beijing; and Australian Trade Commission’s (Austrade) China manager and senior trade commissioner in Shanghai.

In Japan the delegates will also meet with the director investment of the Victorian Government Business Office (VGBO) in Tokyo; hold discussions with Nippon Paper, the new owners of Australian Paper Maryvale; and meet with the executive vice president of TEPCO, owner of Loy Yang A.

Cr Price said that while the emphasis on the visit was the pursuit of economic opportunities, the delegation would also be exploring educational and cultural opportunities in Latrobe’s two sister cities, and further developing the sister city relationships.

Latrobe’s sister city of Taizhou will welcome the delegation, specifically on this occasion to discuss the planning for an indigenous garden as part of a multi-million dollar development currently under construction in Taizhou.

The delegation will also talk with Takasago council officials and interact with the Takasago arts community to further a proposed arts innovation project.

"On the economic front, the level of interest in Latrobe City as an international investment location and exporter of product and education has continued to increase and has largely weathered the storm of global economic effects. This interest, largely from Japanese and Chinese firms is generally related to coal derivatives and energy projects and is expected to continue to build as the global community works to address the challenges of emission reduction imperatives," Cr Price said.

"Response to this sustained interest has been reactive to date, with council’s economic sustainability officers responding to requests for information, and upon request, facilitating visits to the City by international business delegations. Recent examples of these delegations include representation from a number of companies from Japan and China.

"Invest Victoria considers that a more proactive approach by council, via a series of meetings in China and Japan, would be of value in progressing these opportunities, and as such the visit encompasses these meetings," Cr Price said.

"Opportunities were also identified to strengthen existing relationships between international companies already with a stake in the Latrobe City business community, and we have been fortunate to firm up the meetings with these stakeholders," Cr Price added.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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