国内英语新闻:First minister of Scotland to visit Shanghai Expo

LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, is currently leading Scotland's tourism and trade mission to China from 5 July, including a planned visit to Shanghai Expo 2010.

During the five-day trip, the delegation will visit Shanghai, along with a planned visit to Shanghai Expo 2010, before traveling to Beijing. The group will combine trade workshops, sales calls, media meetings and a Scottish Golf Day.

As an emerging global economic power and an essential partner for Scotland, China contribute to the key purpose of the Scottish Government, which is to increase sustainable economic growth. Shanghai Expo provides a focus and an ideal opportunity to build and maintain relationships and promote Scotland as a key economic partner.

First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, said: "It is vital that the Scottish Government, our agencies and Scotland's businesses do all they can to continue advancing the nation's relationship with China."

"I will lead our delegations to a series of events at the Shanghai Expo, where we are supporting a significant Scottish presence to raise Scotland's profile and to encourage some of the anticipated 70 million visitors to the Expo to see Scotland as a place to live, to work, to study and to visit." Mr. Salmond added.

China is one of Scotland's most important emerging markets with an increase in visits from 7,000 in 2005 to approximately 11,000 a year from 2007 to 2009, with these visits are worth average of 7 million pound to the Scottish economy each year.