WELLINGTON, June 9 -- New Zealand researchers have begun a major project that will help build the sheep farming industry in western China and foster the trade relationship between the two countries.

Three staff from Massey University's International Sheep Research Center have been appointed expert consultants to the Xin Bao farm, on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps land near Urumqi.

Professor Hugh Blair, one of the three, told Xinhua on Monday that the appointments were the beginning of "five to 10 years of research collaboration at least" that would benefit farmers in both countries.

Xin Bao was aiming to produce a million lambs annually from 500, 000 ewes with year-round lambing, and to capitalize on co-products like methane from animal waste and electricity from shed-mounted solar panels.

China's central government was funding Xin Bao as a major research base for its aim to increase domestic red meat production.

The New Zealand scientists had designed a research project valued at 400,000 NZ dollars (282,160 U.S. dollars) to collect baseline data, such as lamb births and mortality statistics and development measurements.

It was the initial step for up to seven research projects that could also provide major opportunities for New Zealand, Blair said in a phone interview.

These could include expertise in indoor sheep farming that might benefit farmers in New Zealand's more environmentally sensitive areas.

New Zealand had to get over its "euro-centric" approach to knowledge and learn more about China and other emerging markets, Blair said.

"I can't predict what we're going to learn there, it's research and we're going to learn," said Blair. "If we're not going to get involved, then we're not going to find out anything."

Blair said he was often asked why researchers would give away New Zealand's "trade secrets" to another country, but "much of what we do came from overseas and we just manipulated it for New Zealand."

China was a major trading partner and was expected to overtake the United States in scientific discovery over the next five to 10 years, and anything that could improve the relationship would benefit New Zealand.

"Participation and interaction surely must make us more comfortable with each other," said Blair.

"The whole point about becoming more familiar with a country that we haven't had a whole lot to do with before the last 10 years is that by participating we've got a far greater chance of success in the future."