New Zealand Trade and Enterprise , the New Zealand China Trade Association and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce invite you to a lunch hosted by the Rt Hon Jim Bolger. with special guest, China 's Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, who will speak on "The China and New Zealand Trade Relationship".

12 noon, Monday 26 March 2007
Genesis Room, Waikato Stadium
Gate 5 Seddon Road, Hamilton

Cost: $35 - payment can be made in advance by cheque to MFAT (preferred)
or
on the day by EFTPOS/credit card/cash


Please confirm your attendance no later than Thursday 22 March to:

North Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - nad@mfat.govt.nz

providing details of attendee's name, designation and organisation

(cheques to NAD, MFAT, Private Bag 18901, Wellington )

Inquiries to Nicci Stilwell - phone 04 439 8648, nicci.stilwell@mfat.govt.nz

Book now as space is limited.

CANZBC Member: if you wish to attend this event, please contact Linda. (lindawelcoming@yahoo.com)

Mr. Zeng Peiyan

Vice-Premier

Zeng Peiyan was appointed Vice Premier in March 2003 at the 10th National People's Congress, which inaugurated the new government led by incoming Premier Wen Jiabao. Zeng's responsibilities as Vice Premier include the oversight of the electronics and information technology industries and the key role of driving the reform of State-owned enterprises (SoEs). The ministerial bodies under his supervision include the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the State Owned Assets Restructuring and Supervision Commission and the Ministry of the Information Industry.

Previously, in November 2002 he had been elevated to the Politburo, the Party's 'leading group', in the new regime headed by General Secretary Hu Jintao. Zeng served General Secretary and State President Jiang Zemin as economic advisor in the 1990s and in the first part of the present decade, while simultaneously holding the powerful government office of Chairman of the State Planning Commission (also known at various times as the State Development Planning Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission) under the government headed by Zhu Rongji. As Jiang's economic advisor, he was also Deputy Secretary General of the Communist Party's Central Leading Group for Finance and the Economy.

In 1984 Zeng joined the Ministry of the Electronics Industry, subsequently serving as Director of its General Office, Director of Planning and as Vice Minister. Jiang was Minister of the Electronics Industry in this period. When the Ministry of the Electronics Industry was merged with the Ministry of Machine Building in 1988, Zeng was appointed Vice Minister of the combined Ministry of Electronics and Machine Building , a post which he held until 1993, when he was made Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission. He subsequently became Chairman of the Commission in 1998, when it was re-christened the State Development Planning Commission. Contemporaneously, he was head of the State Council Informatization Office, which was housed in the Commission and deputy leader of the State Informatization Leading Group, then led by Premier Zhu Rongji.