Wellington (TDI): A post from the official X (formerly Twitter) account of New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay was deleted after it caused confusion over a dinner event at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
The post, which read, “It was an honour to attend the dinner hosted by [insert TBC senior Chinese leader],” was removed after it was noticed by Labour Party activist and Chair of the Waitakere Ranges Local Board, Greg Presland.
Presland, who saw the post before it was taken down, shared a screenshot with a comment asking, “Does anyone know who [insert TBC senior Chinese leader] is?”
His tweet soon caught the attention of former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who responded with a laughing emoji.
McClay, who was part of a trade delegation attending the CIIE last month, had shared the post on Saturday.
The message also mentioned McClay’s participation in the event, stating, “It was an honour to attend the dinner hosted by [insert TBC senior Chinese leader] to connect with colleagues from around the globe attending this important annual event #CIIE.”
Explanation After Post Blunder
Hours after Presland’s tweet, McClay’s press secretary, Hannah Miller, explained that the post was a draft that had not been deleted.
“Minister’s staff here,” Miller wrote. “This was a draft tweet that was never deleted. We already tweeted about the CIIE and the $340 million in trade deals done! This was a draft for a dinner that didn’t end up happening on the final schedule.”
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Around 70 New Zealand companies were involved in the CIIE, which McClay had previously described as a crucial event for expanding trade ties with China, New Zealand’s largest export market, valued at $38 billion in two-way trade.
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McClay had emphasized the importance of strengthening this economic partnership and promoting New Zealand’s high-quality products to China’s growing consumer base.
This was McClay’s second visit to China this year, which also included a trip to Guangzhou.
