Tag Archives: APEC Summit

AsureQuality and PwC have inked a deal with  COFCO, China’s largest agricultural and food products supplier, to continually improve China’s food safety and quality. AsureQuality and PwC (China and NZ arms) inked the deal with Cofco this morning (Beijing time) on the side-lines of the 2014 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Beijing. The formal release says: “Drawing on leading …

By Charles Finny With the Republicans back in control of both the House and Senate in the US there are positive signs that the dysfunction apparent in recent years on the hill may be ending.  With both President Obama and the Republican Leadership stating a desire to work together on matters of national importance APEC 2014 and ancillary meetings offers …

By Stephen Jacobi So what was actually decided at the 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Vladivostok? Not much if you take a glass-half-empty approach. It’s hard to get past the fact that APEC’s role is to be largely a forum for socialising ideas about economic policy that need to be put into practice elsewhere. That’s because unlike the …

Tim McCready, a London based New Zealand businessman, recently attended the APEC Summit in Vladivostok Russia. Take a look at the first of his fantastic videos from the conference, offering a unique Kiwi perspective on the event in addition to exclusive behind the scenes content.    

Vladivostok has got a lot going for it. But out in the ‘Gulag’ – the concrete monstrosity that the Russians have plonked on Russky Island – it wasn’t so hot. It wasn’t the shoddy building standards (lifts stopping mid-floor; toilet doors too large for their frames) but the E-coli bug that did in several NZ delegates there for the prestigious APEC CEOs …

Former Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard beat a swift retreat from the recent Russian APEC. Bollard clearly wasn’t used to being tracked by big ominous looking Russians and did not hang about after being announced as APEC’s new executive director.The APEC role is the ultimate when it comes to “herding cats” – aka the many officials from around the region who …

London businessman Tim McCready reports on Vladivostok and Russky Island venue for the 2012 Apec Leaders’ Meeting and CEOs Summit.

New Zealand has proposed a special agricultural co-operation chapter should be injected into the free trade agreement (FTA) with the Russian-led customs union to help overcome fears by Russian farmers. Trade Minister Tim Groser dispatched New Zealand’s chief negotiator Vangelis Vitalis to Moscow this week to make progress on issues blocking the successful completion of the FTA with Russia and …

Vladimir Putin is famously late. He stood-up the Ukraine president for four hours while he stopped off for a catch-up with Russian bikers called the “night wolves”. He’s even reported to have kept the Queen and the Pope waiting. Last week he kept influential international investors – including a big Chinese delegation – cooling their heels at the Apec chief …

Hu Jintao’s calm face softened as he spoke poignantly of his greatest challenge since becoming President of China seven months ago. “I felt as if my heart was on fire.” He was talking of the Sars epidemic, which claimed hundreds of lives as the new Chinese leadership fought to bring “this scourge” under control. The virus originated in southern China. …