China New Zealand Photo:VCG

China called for the upgrading of the comprehensive strategic partnership with New Zealand during the Chinese premier's visit to the Pacific country from Thursday to Saturday. Analysts pointed out that China-New Zealand relations will be brought to a new level through the joint efforts of both sides.

Experts also noted that stable and healthy bilateral ties are beneficial and crucial to both countries' economic development and economic and trade cooperation, especially considering the complex international environment. 

New Zealand, which has adhered to an independent, pragmatic foreign policy and striven to resist the pressure of the US and some other Western countries on a series of key issues, is a worthy example among developed countries, they stressed.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Friday that China is willing to work with New Zealand to uphold common values, further carry forward traditional friendship and make efforts to upgrade the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li made the remarks when addressing a welcome banquet in Auckland held by various social communities of New Zealand.

During a meeting with representatives from industrial and commercial circles of New Zealand on Friday, Li noted that "the economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand should continue to lead the way."

China will always be open to enterprises from New Zealand and other countries, Li said. He promised that Beijing would further expand market access, create a market-oriented and internationalized business environment that is first-class and based on the rule of law, and provide more support and facilitation for foreign-funded enterprises to invest and operate in China, according to Xinhua.

"We are very encouraged by the Premier's speech, pointing to further deepened bilateral cooperation, which is very good news for the business community of both countries," Wang Jiazheng, chief representative of the Guangdong Economic and Trade Representative Office in New Zealand and president of the Canton Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand (CCCNZ), told the Global Times on Friday, after attending the welcome banquet for Premier Li in Auckland.

The New Zealand business community is willing to maintain good economic and trade relations with China, which is the most important export destination for New Zealand companies, said Wang.

He also said that the visa-free policy for New Zealand will greatly boost people-to-people exchanges and commercial exchanges.

Confidence boosted

The Chinese premier's visit to New Zealand is undoubtedly a strong and positive signal showing the importance China attaches to further deepening economic and trade relations with New Zealand, Alex Zhang, executive member of the New Zealand China Trade Association, told the Global Times.

"Such high-level exchanges not only help to enhance the stability of bilateral relationships but also provide opportunities for direct dialogue and cooperation between enterprises of both sides," said Zhang.

Teh-han Chow, Fonterra Greater China CEO, told the Global Times on Friday that "we are very excited about Premier Li's visit to New Zealand, and looking forward to a strengthened bilateral relationship in future." 

"China is committed to a high level of openness, continuously providing a favorable business environment for enterprises from China, New Zealand and other countries. The Chinese government emphasizes openness and is actively implementing the upgraded China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), creating opportunities for businesses of the two countries to establish mutually beneficial partnerships and promote trade and economic growth, thereby contributing to the prosperousness of an open world economy," said Chow from the New Zealand dairy cooperative.

China has always been one of the most strategically important markets for Fonterra,  and the company has achieved great success in China and is highly confident in the future of the Chinese market, said Chow.

Wang also looked forward to the further deepening friendly relations between the two countries after the premier's visit. "The two countries can explore new areas of cooperation and jointly address global challenges," said Wang.

For a long time, China-New Zealand relations have been at the forefront of those between China and Western developed countries. The economic and trade relations between China and New Zealand have also been continuously strengthened and have always been a stabilizer and booster of bilateral relations, Chen Hong, director of the New Zealand Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Friday.

"We have every reason to believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-New Zealand relations will be brought to a new level," said Chen.

Model bilateral ties

Over the past decade, China and New Zealand have made remarkable progress in political mutual trust, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges, with frequent visits between the political and business communities of the two countries, observers said.

China has consolidated its position as New Zealand's largest trading partner and major export destination, official data showed.

It is worth noting that such fruitful results were achieved in a complex international political environment, especially when the US seeks to transform New Zealand into a piece on its strategic chess board and let it bear all the risks while reaping all the benefits of its "Indo-Pacific strategy," as New Zealand is a member of the Five Eyes alliance and a strategic partner of the US, analysts said.

In recent years, in order to maintain and strengthen its regional and global hegemony, the US has focused on implementing and advancing its "Indo-Pacific strategy," aimed at containing and undermining China's peaceful development, Chen pointed out.

"Under the reality of the US' increasingly shrinking national power, Washington is trying to gather some allies and partners to form 'small groups' to contain China's development. From the Quad and the 'Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity' to AUKUS, these political, economic and military small groups are eroding regional unity and threatening peace and stability," Chen said.

Observers praised New Zealand for adhering to an independent foreign policy and refusing to yield to the pressure of the US and some other Western countries on a series of key issues, calling it a worthy example among developed countries.

The China-New Zealand FTA, effective from October 2008, was the first FTA signed between China and a developed country. An upgraded version of the agreement came into effect in April 2022, with the two sides striving to push trade and investment to a new level.

The Chinese Premier on Thursday called on China and New Zealand to strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral fields, and promote all parties to stick together through thick and thin for win-win cooperation. China and New Zealand are both firm supporters of multilateralism, free trade and an open world economy, Li said, according to Xinhua.

Li made the remarks during a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington on Thursday.

Luxon said that since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership 10 years ago, New Zealand and China have witnessed robust development in bilateral economic and trade relations and close personnel exchanges, benefiting the people of both countries.

The Chinese premier also called on the two countries to eliminate non-economic disruptions in their economic and trade relations, so as to provide businesses with stable expectations and a favorable business environment.

More to expect

With the premise of sound and stable bilateral ties, the cooperation potential in various fields is huge between China and New Zealand, said industry representatives and enterprises. 

Zhang predicted that deeper cooperation in green development, agriculture, digital economy and e-commerce can be carried out. 

There are also many emerging areas of cooperation between the two countries, such as services, including healthcare, education and tourism.

"We are expecting more cooperation opportunities. The New Zealand China Products Expo, scheduled to be held in September in Auckland, will be a good platform to develop further trade and commercial cooperation. We will also make every effort to support the expo," said Wang.  

China and New Zealand on Thursday agreed to initiate negotiations on service trade negative lists. Chinese Premier and New Zealand Prime Minister witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on service trade, business environment, export of agricultural and food products to China, science and technology, patent examination and migratory bird protection, among other fields, per Xinhua.

On the basis of making better use of the FTA, China and New Zealand should also work together to make bilateral economic and trade cooperation a model for regional development and bring benefits to more countries in the region, analysts noted.