FIRST MINISTER WELCOMES CHINESE STATE VISIT
Vice Premier Li Keqiang to visit Pelamis Wave Power in Edinburgh.
The First Minister will welcome Vice Premier Li Keqiang and six Chinese Ministers to Scotland this Sunday as the delegation starts their UK state visit in Edinburgh.
The capital will be the first stop for the senior delegations' four-day visit to the UK (January 9-12) where they will undertake an extensive programme of meetings with Ministers, business leaders, and visit business and industrial sites.
Discussions in Edinburgh will focus on Scotland's renewables and low carbon energy industry. The delegation will visit Pelamis Wave Power, based in Leith, and attend a presentation on Scotland's rapidly growing offshore wind, wave and tidal energy industry.
The delegation will undertake a series of meetings and visits with Scottish Government Ministers while in Scotland, including a meeting between the Vice Premier and the First Minister at Bute House, and a state dinner at Edinburgh Castle.
The Vice Premier, and the following Ministers will visit Scotland:
- Vice Minister of Commerce and China International Trade Representative Gao Hucheng;
- Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying;
- Vice Minister of Railways Wang Zhiguo;
- Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council You Quan;
- Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission Xu Xianping;
- Deputy Head of the State Council Research Office Ning Jizhe
- Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang.
- The delegation will be accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Liu Xiaoming, and the Scottish Consul General, Madam Tan.
The delegation will travel to London on Monday for engagements with Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of strengthening Sino-Scottish links. Over the past two years I have led trade missions to China in our continuing work to increase the economic, educational and cultural bonds between our two countries.
"It is important that the Scottish Government, our agencies, businesses and educational organisations continue to do all they can to advance our relationship with China, particularly as we pursue every opportunity to build sustainable economic growth across Scotland.
"I am delighted that the Vice Premier will begin his state visit in Edinburgh and will learn more about Scotland's rapidly growing renewable energy sector.
"Scotland has unrivalled natural resources and established expertise in energy engineering, particularly offshore and the Scottish Government is committed to working with China in this sector.
"China already has the largest deployment of on-shore renewable technology , and Scotland is a world-leader in pioneering the technology and application of clean, green off-shore energy.
Therefore, the economic opportunities for Scotland are enormous in terms of wind and marine energy technology developers and manufacturers, and for potential investors across the world.
Many Scottish energy companies such as the Glasgow based Sgurr Energy have already entered the Chinese market and this visit will help to showcase the innovation and skills that Scotland's green energy sector offers.
"I look forward to welcoming this high-powered delegation to Scotland and leading discussions to advance our relationship with China."
Chief executive of Scottish Development International, Anne MacColl, said:
" Scotland is strong in many of China's key strategic growth sectors such as renewable energy, life sciences and financial services and increasing trade between Scotland and China as well as expanding business and academia connections between our two countries is recognised as key to the future growth of the Scottish economy.
This state visit will signal an encouraging start to 2011 for further developing and strengthening Sino-Scottish links."
China Direct would like to thank its colleagues at CBI Scotland for kindly supplying this information.
More information on the Scotland visit can be downloaded below:
Download China VP Visit to Scotland Background 07.01.11
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