The Honourable Colin Fagan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development, left the island on Sunday, September 1^st, 2013 to attend two (2) international summits in China.

The State Minister received an official invitation from the government of China, to attend the 3^rd Global Economic Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2013, in Changchun city, Jilin province from September 4- 6, 2013 and the 2^ND International Culture Industry Summit (ICIS 2013) in Lanzhou city, Gansu province from September 6 -8, 2013. Minister Fagan leads the charge to establish town centers across the island, and as such the Chinese Government saw it fit to have the Minister’s input at this year’s summit. The themes for the summits are ‘Worldwide development experience of urbanization & Global cooperation opportunities of China’s urbanization’ and ‘The inheritance, innovation and global cooperation of the Chinese civilization’, respectively. About 600 political figures, world business leaders from Fortune 500 & Forbes 2000 companies, industry leaders, investors and bankers, Ministers, MPs, Governors, Mayors, authorities and world-renowned economists & scholars from more than 80 countries are set to be present at the summit.

State Minister Fagan will be the Keynote speaker for one of the round table sessions set to take place on the second day of the first summit; he will make a presentation on Urbanization and International Investments. While in China the Minster is also expected to conduct a tour of the Fire Station in Changchun City and meet with the Provincial Chief where he will discuss matters of Local Economic Development (LED) and other matters concerning Local Government and Community Development. Minister Fagan is expected to return to the island on September 11, 2013.