Until the end of 2011, Samoa lay east of the International Date Line, observing UTC−11:00 (UTC−10:00 during daylight saving time). This was in line with neighboring American Samoa, which continues to observe UTC−11:00 (Samoa Time Zone) year-round. At the end of Thursday, 29 December 2011, Samoa continued directly to Saturday, 31 December 2011, skipping the entire calendar day of Friday, 30 December 2011 and effectively re-drawing the International Date Line.[4] Prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi stated that the change was intended to improve business with New Zealand, Australia, China, and other places in Asia.[5]