By IRENE CHAPPLE
"I wish all agreements were that quick," muttered one of the New Zealand party after five minutes of niceties were closed by a smile, two signatures and a restrained pop as the sparkling wine was uncorked.
Victor Percival reckons it has taken 10 years for him to get this
co-operation agreement between New Zealand and China signed.
Yesterday he felt: "Well, very pleased."
Indeed. Percival has been promoting China and New Zealand trade relations since the 1950s and this agreement - despite being at provincial level only - formalises ease of access to 90 million potential consumers who live in Sichuan.
Percival says the southwest province was a pioneer in China's economic reforms and its signing of the agreement is an encouraging omen for the free-trade negotiations.
The progress towards a free-trade deal between New Zealand and China gave Percival an "umbrella" under which the lower-tier friendship agreements can be advanced.
Percival - despite now being retired from his role as New Zealand China Trade Association chairman - went to Auckland's Sheraton Hotel yesterday to sign alongside the director of the Sichuan Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau, Tang Li Min.
The agreement gives the 100-odd members of the New Zealand China Trade Association access to high-level bureaucrats in the Sichuan province.
It is focused on agriculture, animal husbandry, forest industry and the tourism sector.
The parties have made several commitments: to visit each other, help find business partners, co-operate with training and find investors.
Percival - then exporting wool - signed the first reciprocal agreement with a Chinese company in 1958 and has remained a strong proponent of co-operation between the countries.
"When Britain joined the European Union I knew they would never get excited about us holding on to their apron strings ... [negotiating trade agreements with China] was just logic."
