Business banter: Financial Secretary Henry Tang chats with New Zealand Minister for State and Associate Minister for Trade Negotiations Jim Sutton and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Michael Cullen.

Financial Secretary Henry Tang touched down in Auckland today, starting his first official visit to New Zealand in this post.

Auckland is the first stop of Mr Tang's 10-day visit to Australasia, in which he will also visit Wellington, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

He will update government leaders, business communities, think-tanks and the local media on Hong Kong's economic developments.

Hong Kong's unique advantages as the best two-way platform for doing business with the Mainland will be the focus of his message. He will encourage more New Zealand and Australian companies to use Hong Kong's strengths as Asia's business and financial services hub.

Mr Tang will outline business opportunities in the quickly developing Pan-Pearl River Delta region - a massive potential market and huge production base with 460 million people.

Today he was interviewed on Television New Zealand, and tonight gave a keynote speech at a dinner organised by Hong Kong's Economic & Trade Office in Sydney.