‘Friend’ heads Chinatex

Press, 27 July 1983, Page 15

‘Friend’ heads Chinatex

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong

A woman described as an old friend of New Zealand has been appointed general manager of the China National Textile Import and ESport Corporation (Chinatex). Mr Gavin Thompson, who is returning to Wellington after almost two years as New Zealand’s trade commissioner in Peking, said in an interview in Hong Kopg that Miss Zhu You Lan had recently been named as head of Chinatex,

which is responsible for China’s wool purchases and textile sales. “She will come out to New Zealand later in the year to look at the New Zealand market for Chinese textiles and also to discuss wool purchases,” he said. Mr Thompson said Miss Zhu had visited New Zealand about seven times previously with Chinatex delegations, but more recently had been involved in other responsibilities in the Ministry of Trade and Economic Relations.

He said China had re-established itself as the top buyer of New Zealand wool, purchasing more than 30,000 tonnes in the current 1982-83 trade year. Mr Thompson said a lot of New Zealand wool was being used in the manufacture of blankets. China’s Minister of Textile Industry, Miss Hao Jianxiu, said in a recent article that China’s textile industry had the task of ensuring that one billion Chinese people dressed better.