Fijian PM ends east China tour

Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase concluded his tour of the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on June 27.

During his stay in Qingdao, the second leg of Laisenia Qarase's five-day China visit, the Fijian prime minister visited the headquarters of China's home appliance giant, Haier Group, and

Liangmu Co, Ltd., a furniture factory in the outskirts of Qingdao.

Laisenia Qarase said he was amazed at how Haier grew from a bankrupt enterprise to a multi-national corporation with 100 billion yuan (12.1 billion US dollars) of annual turnover.

He said Haier's products fit the Fijian market pretty well and also encouraged firms from Fiji and Qingdao to cooperate in furniture making.

During talks with Laisenia Qarase on Monday noon, vice governor of Shandong Province, Sun Shoufu, said the province attaches importance to exchanges with Fiji, believing Laisenia Qarase's visit would further promote trade and economic cooperation between the two sides.

The Fijian prime minister arrived in Beijing on Saturday for his working visit to China. Besides Beijing and Qingdao, he will also travel to Tianjin, the largest port city in north China some 130 kilometers to the southeast of Beijing.

Source: Xinhua