The recently-signed free trade agreement with China has opened up exciting opportunities for Central Otago, according to Mayor Malcolm Macpherson, who has just returned from a whirlwind 10-day visit to China.

He was invited to attend the 2008 International Mayors' Forum on Tourism in Zhengzhou, and at the same time signed a draft sister-city agreement between Changyuan, China, and the Central Otago district. The proposed sister city has 100 million people within a three-hour drive.

That agreement must still be ratified by the Chinese Government and by the Central Otago District Council (CODC).

Dr Macpherson believes that Central Otago - like the rest of New Zealand - will be affected greatly by what has happened and is yet to happen in China.

‘‘There are, for a start, educational and tourism plus business-to-business opportunities everywhere you look.''

A sister-city relationship would give Central Otago a ‘‘beach head'' into vast markets.

‘‘If we want to sell into that market, then this could be our way in.''

It should be easy to sort out any problems now that he had met the key people.

‘‘In China, almost all the real power rests in the mayor's office,'' Dr Macpherson said.

Trading with China would not require businesses to do much more than they were already doing - producing great fruit and excellent wine.

‘‘The Chinese can literally make or do anything they need or want, but the things Central Otago does well, as I see it, are growing cherries, which I can see a real market for, and producing wine. The Chinese do make wine, but not very well.''

Hospitality students at the Otago Polytechnic Cromwell Campus could travel to China to study at a brand new facility just opened there. It was the size of two large city blocks, he said.

The potential for increased tourism here was another possibility, with pollution in China driving those who could afford it to seek greener pastures for their holidays.

‘‘They see New Zealand as clean and green and that will draw people here.''

Dr Macpherson said he made many formal speeches, and always started by saying the countries had many pioneering ancestors in common.

‘‘At first they didn't understand that, but when I told them we had Chinese people buried in our graveyards, and numerous Chinese artefacts in our museums, they became very excited. I think they will come and get value and gain appreciation from the same things we do.

'I expect we could get a few hundred people a year as opposed to busloads charging all over Central Otago. There will be less people but they will be better funded,'' he said.

Fulfilling the Central Otago branding requirements needed to be discussed.

‘‘We need to look at how we would manage that to protect our core values. Chinese tourism probably won't happen straight away but within a decade I can see a strong market for that.''

Outbound tourism would also grow with the untapped potential of the Changyuan county, which seldom sees any tourists.

‘‘China has an enormous resource of 6000 years of history that they take for granted but which we are absolutely fascinated with.''

Educational opportunities are there for the taking, for Chinese students coming into New Zealand and New Zealand students and teachers going to China.

‘‘There are labour supply opportunities and investment opportunities in both directions.''

Central Otago Mayor Malcolm Macpherson (rear centre) meets school children at a country school.