North 'keen to help China'

Northern Ireland firms are keen to draw on their wealth of experience to help the Chinese develop their economy further, Stormont enterprise minister Sir Reg Empey said today.

On the start of a three-day visit to Beijing in support of an Industrial Development Board trade mission, Sir Reg told guests at a British Embassy reception that Northern Ireland’s economy had performed strongly over the past decade, with many local firms on the cutting edge of their respective fields.

He said: ‘‘Employment in Northern Ireland has increased by almost 17%, with 90,000 new jobs created across all sectors.

‘‘We have been the fastest growing region in the UK, with manufacturing output increasing by 35%.

‘‘We in the Northern Ireland Executive are particularly keen to assist our companies to engage more successfully in the global marketplace.

"Increasing sales is the key to the success of our economy and we have seen encouraging results with exports having increased by 125% over the past 10 years.’’

Sir Reg also told guests at the reception, hosted by British Ambassador Sir Anthony Galsworthy and attended by Irish Ambassador Declan Connolly, that sales outside the European Union had significantly increased.

He said Northern Ireland was offering the Chinese ‘‘tremendous knowledge in many of the business sectors which China is keen to attract - telecommunications, health technology, environmental technology, construction and software’’.

During his visit, Sir Reg said he would be visiting prospective clients for Northern Ireland companies as well as meeting Chinese government officials and the Mayor of Beijing.

The minister and his officials also visited the People’s Liberation Army Hospital in Beijing in support of a Crumlin-based firm, Randox, which hopes to install its diagnostic system, Evidence, at a laboratory.

Sir Reg and Randox Managing Director Dr Peter Fitzgerald toured the hospital museum and a laboratory. Later, the minister told lunch guests that Northern Ireland shared China’s commitment to economic globalisation.

Earlier, the minister and Antrim-based firm Amtec’s director of manufacturing and regulatory affairs, Brian Anderson met the China National Medical Equipment and Supplies Import and Export Corporation.

The minister’s party is due to visit the city’s university before he addresses a trade reception involving the 27 companies who have taken part in the 10-day trade mission to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.