Hon. Paul Goldsmith, Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment,

Mr. John Goulter, General Manager of Education New Zealand,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

I am very delighted to be here today to participate in this great event in celebration of the launching of Northland International Education Strategy for next ten years together with my colleagues from the consulate general. On behalf of my colleagues and the Chinese Consulate General in Auckland , I would like to express our warm congratulations and our appreciation for your kind invitation to this beautiful city and beautiful occasion.

Chinese Consulate General in Auckland covers three very important regions in New Zealand, which are Northland, Waikato and Auckland. Although we are not based here physically, our hearts are with our friends in Northland all the time. Today my colleagues and I are so pleased to have the opportunity to attend this event related to education as well as to have an opportunity to further our cooperation in other areas. Being able to celebrate the launching of Northland international education strategy for next ten years together with our kiwi friends in Far North of New Zealand is a vivid reflection of the fast growing ties and cooperation between our two countries and two peoples. While visiting New Zealand in November 2014, President Xi Jinping noted that New Zealand is a small but a very creative developed country. During that visit, our bilateral relationship was upgraded to the comprehensive strategic partnership. Premier Li Keqiang appraised New Zealand as a small giant during his visit in late March this year. An agreement on "One Belt One Road" cooperation was signed by both sides, making New Zealand the first western country to sign such an agreement with China. China and New Zealand have become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of different social systems and territorial sizes.Good relationship between our two countries is not only beneficial to both countries and two peoples ,but also conducive to the Aisa Pacific and the whole world.

Today, China New Zealand relations are in the best period of history. The year of 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China New Zealand diplomatic relationship. The communications and cooperation between our two countries have been growing quickly in all areas, such as politics, economy, trade, connectivity, culture etc. Educational exchanges and cooperation are another highlight. Meanwhile, China is not only the second largest source of overseas tourists and largest trading partner for New Zealand, but also the largest source of foreign students, with 30,000 students from China. National relationship is based on the affection of peoples. The frequent people-to-people exchanges have deepened mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

I want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all the friends here for your support to the development of China and New Zealand relationship and China. This year is an important year for China. I am very pleased to say that China's economy has been doing well with GDP growth at 6.9%, and continues to be the main contributor to the world economic growth. China is striving to implement five development concept featuring innovation, greenness, openness, coordination and shared development, which is very much in line with New Zealand development concept. The Belt and Road Forum initiative has won world-wide support. Belt and road is a road of connectivity, trade, infrastructure, financing and people to people exchanges. Its forum for International Cooperation, which Honorable Minister Paul Goldsmith attended, was successfully held in Beijing in May this year. The forum attracted world wide attention and achieved 276 tangible results. I am confident that in the framework of 'One Belt One Road', the cooperation between China and New Zealand will reach a new level. Right now both sides are endeavoring to fulfill the goal of 30billion dollars of trade and one-million-personnel-exchange per year by 2020. The potential of educational cooperation will be unlimited.

Northland is one of the most beautiful regions in New Zealand. With the joint efforts of both sides, positive progress has been made in the cooperation between cities of Northland and China. In 2000,Far North has established friendly cooperation relationship with Liaoning province of  China. In June 2014 Whangarei and Haikou signed a sister city agreemen. Since then Her Worship Mayor Sheryl Mai has visited Haikou City twice. The cooperation and communication between two cities in areas of education, culture, arts and economy, have developed rapidly and achieved fruitful outcomes. Following NorthTec tutors and students' art work successful exhibition in Haikou December last year, we are pleased to see that in this March the teachers and students' art work from Haikou College of Economics and Haikou Experimental Middle School have reached New Zealand, to be exhibited at the Geoff Wilson Gallery.

The launching of Northland International Education Strategy 2017-2027 today will surely further develop the exchanges and cooperation in the field of education between the Northland and the world, and will particularly further enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the Northland and China.

I wish Northland International Education Strategy 2017-2027 a great success. I wish China would play an important role in this strategy. I wish the growing cooperation between Northland and China will become a model of cooperation among cities in New Zealand and China.