This September in Aotearoa New Zealand, we celebrate two special weeks: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (14–21 Sept), marking the 52nd anniversary of the Māori Language Petition on Saturday 14th, and New Zealand Chinese Language Week (22–28 Sept). Both initiatives promote language learning in New Zealand by raising awareness, sharing cultural stories, and c…

Like New Zealand, Australia is also tracking China’s economy closely, as well as grappling with increasingly complex regional geopolitics. It’s always helpful for us to swap notes, especially with an acknowledged Australia-China expert.Professor James Laurenceson is Director of the Australia China Research Institute (ACRI), Australia’s first and on…

China is New Zealand’s largest source of imports, whether ready for consumption under NZ or increasingly well-known Chinese brands, or providing materials and components for our domestic manufacturing outputs. Does this leave us exposed - are there particular products from China we can’t do without, and what would happen if supply was interrupted? …

Every March, the ‘lianghui’ or ‘Two Sessions’ political meetings in Beijing set the scene and key directions for China’s year ahead: its intended socio-economic goals and strategies, priority sectors, key personnel appointments and foreign policy settings. These are valuable signposts for New Zealanders following latest developments in China. In th…

‘How to feed 1.4 billion people’ is already a big question. And how to do it sustainably?Answers to these questions are not only crucial for people in China, but also important for New Zealand. China is our largest trade partner: Understanding its future sustainable food policy directions, and how this will affect China’s food consumption, producti…

The New Zealand Business Roundtable in China (NZBRiC), a representative body for New Zealand companies doing business in and with China, recently completed a groundbreaking survey of over 50 kiwi businesses to provide a first-hand, on-the-ground perspective of the real business environment and mood for New Zealand companies operating there in 2023.…

Collaborative Horizons report launch Webinar by New Zealand China Council PodcastDoor New Zealand China Council Podcast

How do New Zealanders assess China’s response to climate change? We recently had a unique opportunity to work with InstatData, a kiwi start-up which analyses social media posts to gauge New Zealanders’ opinions on particular issues. We put their technology to the test to focus on China and climate change, as an issue we suspected would reveal diver…

This podcast is a recording of the webinar launching our report “Resuming Normal Service? Assessing future prospects for New Zealand-China services trade”, jointly held with the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence. It includes an exclusive briefing by the report author and a discussion featuring services trade experts, moderated by the Exe…

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China took place recently in Beijing. The pivotal five-yearly event in China’s political calendar drew global interest. But beyond the media headlines, what were the key outcomes of the Congress and how could these affect China’s policy directions and New Zealand’s future engagement with China? I…

This week is New Zealand Chinese Language Week. We sat down with our Council members Kiri Nathan, founder of her eponymous clothing brand Kiri Nathan Limited, and Mark Tanner, Founder and Managing Director of Shanghai based market strategy and research agency China Skinny, to explore their own Chinese language journeys. In this podcast you will hea…

In late April the New Zealand China Council released a report commissioned from Sense Partners, “In Perspective: The New Zealand-China Trade and Business Relationship 2022 Update”. Amongst other findings, the report confirmed that China’s share of New Zealand’s global goods exports reached 32.6% in 2021. How we assess this situation and what it mea…

The Southern Link places New Zealand in the middle of a global value chain connecting Asia and South America, generating growth in trade, tourism and export opportunities. Transiting via New Zealand offers the shortest air route between many major cities on the two continents, along with time zone advantages and efficient hubbing and servicing. The…

A year on, we reconnect with the education sector to discuss the impact of Covid-19. Our guests, Derek McCormack (Vice Chancellor - AUT), Danny Chan (Co-founder - ACG and Director - UP Education) and Ainslie Moore (Deputy Director – International, Auckland University) discuss the impact of Covid-19 on their institutions, explain how they have pivot…

Kiri Nathan is the founder of her eponymous clothing brand Kiri Nathan Ltd. Kiri has been travelling to China for years, a journey that started with sourcing fabric from one of the world’s largest textile markets. In this podcast we speak with Kiri about her China experience, including taking a hīkoi of young designers to market - which has led to …

"It’s not necessarily about providing the lowest priced product that will make you a success in China... it’s about being able to add value and continue to create value."Magic Memories started as fast photo service for tourists on the Queenstown gondola more than 20 years ago. It is now a global business with Magic Memories teams operating at more …

This podcast is a recording of a New Zealand China Trade Association (NZCTA) and North Asia CAPE technology focused breakfast seminar featuring John Cochrane, General Manager of Facteon Intelligent Technology. John has had a fascinating China journey, working across both the private and public sectors on China focused business. John was CEO of Beij…

How has the Australia-China relationship changed over the last few years? What has been the impact of the spill-over of politics into the economic realm? Have views on China become more polarised, and what is the impact of increased tensions on Australia’s Chinese community? These are some of the topics covered in our wide-ranging discussion with P…

This podcast is a webinar from the NZ Contemporary China Research Centre's annual conference, which brings together leading scholars to examine key issues in China studies for New Zealand. In this webinar David Dollar, senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Centre at the Brookings Institute, discusses the challenges for the Chinese economy in …

“A lot of these Chinese companies are just much more dynamic and take more of a Lean Start-up approach. And I think as New Zealand companies exporting, we need to be aware of the way they operate. And in some cases, try and replicate some of the structural advantages.” What are the current consumer trends in China? How are New Zealand businesses tr…

How are Kiwi companies faring in China? How has trade been tracking over this unprecedented period? In this podcast, you will hear on the ground insights from NZTE Regional Director for Greater China, Fiona Acheson. Fiona provides an update on recent big events in the China trade calendar (including the China International Import Expo, and Singles’…

Pakuranga, an eastern suburb in Auckland, is probably not the first place you’d expect to find a disruptive technology business. This is, however, exactly where you find HMI Technology’s bustling head office. HMI’s autonomous vehicle Ohmio is designed in NZ, manufactured in China, and exported to a range of international markets. In this podcast, y…

In part two of our conversation with Anna, you will hear how the ZURU team responded when Covid-19 first hit, maintaining supply chains and dealing with considerable uncertainty. Anna also shares how during New Zealand’s Level 4 lock-down, she worked with her team to secure high quality PPE in competition with countries across the globe.…

Anna Mowbray is the co-owner and COO of ZURU toys, the eighth largest privately owned toy company in the world. ZURU is well-known for its disruptive and innovative approach to the industry. The company has now diversified into FMCG developing brands across a range of categories. In part one of a two part series, Anna shares ZURU’s China journey – …

The North Asia CAPE recently hosted a Post-Covid live panel: New Zealand’s mahi in the region. The discussion was moderated by North Asia CAPE Director Professor Paul Clark, and featured economist and commentator Shamubeel Eaqub; former New Zealand Ambassador to China John McKinnon and University of Auckland Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Engage…

This week is New Zealand Chinese Language Week, and we were delighted to interview Professor Martin East from the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics and Dr Danping Wang, a lecturer in Chinese from the University of Auckland. Professor East is also the author of the NZCC’s report on teaching languages in schools, commissioned in 2018. In …

Sir Richard Taylor is the co-founder of the world renowned WETA Workshop. His credits to date include five Oscars, four BAFTAs and a raft of other international entertainment awards. Sir Richard has a long history of working with China, which extends from model making, to film and TV productions, to designing major location based experiences. In th…

International education is NZ’s 5th largest export earner, contributing almost $5b to our economy and supporting more than 45,000 jobs. Closing our borders has required our education institutions to adapt to unique circumstances. We recently discussed the impact of Covid-19 on international education with Professor Jenny Dixon, Deputy Vice Chancell…

The Government recently updated New Zealand’s overseas investment regime. The amendments are designed to balance the important role overseas investment will play as businesses look to recover and grow, while ensuring greater protection of New Zealand’s interests. This podcast updates listeners on the amendments; and discusses the current status of …

In order to obtain greater understanding of New Zealand’s trade with China, and articulate the risks and opportunities this presents, the New Zealand China Council commissioned an independent report: “How many eggs, in how many baskets? An update on NZ-China Trade Patterns”, authored by John Ballingall from Sense Partners. At the launch of the repo…

Zespri is one of New Zealand’s few truly international brands. In this podcast, find out how Zespri grew its China market from a mere two percent, to over 20 percent of its global sales, on its way to becoming Zespri’s first billion dollar market.Zespri’s China journey hasn’t been smooth sailing, however, and in this podcast, Zespri Chair Bruce Cam…