New Zealand ambassador to China says APEC must reaffirm open cooperation as global trade landscape shifts profoundly

Summary

New Zealand Ambassador to China Jonathan Austin said in an exclusive interview with 21st Century Business Herald in Beijing that, against the backdrop of profound shifts in the global trade and economic landscape, APEC economies need to come together to uphold the international trading system built over decades and reaffirm their commitment to an open, rules-based and predictable trading system. The 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen. New Zealand and China are both APEC founding members, are co-leading the five-year review of the Aotearoa Plan of Action, and support the priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation put forward by China.

On trade, Austin said China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth about NZ$100 million a day. New Zealand's daily exports to China are equivalent to a full year's exports to Sweden, and exports to China account for about one quarter of New Zealand's total goods exports. New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a free trade agreement with China, and the two countries are advancing negotiations on a negative list for services trade, with hopes of reaching agreement by the end of this year.

Over the past 12 months, Chinese visitor numbers to New Zealand rose by more than 40 percent and New Zealand visitor numbers to China by more than 30 percent, with about 60 direct flights a week. More than 19 New Zealand education institutions run joint programmes with Chinese universities. Austin also noted that more than 90 percent of New Zealand's electricity generation comes from renewable sources, nearly three-quarters of electric vehicles are made in China, and New Zealand welcomes Chinese investment in renewable energy and other sectors.

Commentary

Ambassador Austin's interview points to two shifts with practical implications for New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises: the prospect of concluding services trade negative-list negotiations by the end of the year, and Chinese investment interest in renewable energy equipment and electric vehicles. If the first is delivered, education, tourism and other traditional New Zealand services export sectors could gain clearer market-access rules. SMEs can start studying demand growth in China's second- and third-tier cities for international education and tailored tourism, though local competitors and qualification standards will not disappear.

The second offers two-way opportunities: more than 90 percent of New Zealand's electricity generation is renewable, while China has cost and scale advantages in solar panels, wind turbines and EV manufacturing, and nearly three-quarters of New Zealand EVs are made in China. SMEs need not compete directly with large Chinese firms on generation investment; they can focus on equipment distribution, installation and maintenance, localisation services or solutions for green hydrogen and other supporting segments. Gaming, a new highlight in digital trade, has already attracted Chinese capital including from Tencent, and New Zealand developers have a strong global reputation, but entering the Chinese market still requires dealing with game licence approvals and cultural adaptation.

There is also a risk lens: over-reliance on a single market brings volatility. Exports to China account for one quarter of goods exports, and about NZ$100 million in daily trade flows is both an opportunity and a concentration warning. SMEs should deepen their China focus while continuing to expand into other CPTPP and RCEP markets.

About 60 direct flights a week and Chinese visitor growth of more than 40 percent mean tourism-related SMEs can develop counter-seasonal products and services, but they must also respond to changing spending habits among Chinese tourists. Austin's line that 'one day's exports to China equal a year's exports to Sweden' is not just a rhetorical statistic. It reminds New Zealand firms that the scale of the Chinese market can change the growth curve of a single niche industry, but only those SMEs willing to understand local rules and build long-term partnerships will capture a meaningful share.

If the year-end services trade negative list is agreed, more than 19 New Zealand education institutions already have joint programmes with Chinese universities, offering smaller education technology and vocational training providers a route to follow rather than waiting for clients to come to them.

Keywords: APEC, New Zealand Ambassador to China, China-New Zealand economic and trade cooperation, services trade negative list, CPTPP, RCEP, open cooperation, Shenzhen, free trade agreement

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

新西兰驻华大使乔文博（Jonathan Austin）在北京接受21世纪经济报道专访时表示，在全球经贸格局深刻演变的背景下，APEC各经济体需要团结起来，维护历经数十年建立的国际贸易体系，重申对开放、以规则为基础且可预期的贸易体系的承诺。2026年APEC领导人非正式会议将在深圳举行，新西兰与中国同为APEC创始成员，正共同牵头“奥特亚罗瓦行动计划”五年期评估，并支持中国提出的“开放、创新、合作”优先事项。经贸方面，乔文博称中国是新西兰最大贸易伙伴，双边贸易额每天约1亿新西兰元，新西兰一天对华出口额相当于对瑞典一整年的出口额，对华出口约占新西兰商品出口总额的四分之一。

新西兰是首个与中国签署自贸协定的发达国家，两国正推进服务贸易负面清单谈判，希望今年年底前达成协议。过去12个月，中国赴新游客增长超40%，新西兰赴华游客增长超30%，每周直飞航班约60班；超过19家新西兰教育机构与中国大学开展合作办学。乔文博还提到，新西兰超过90%发电量来自可再生能源，近四分之三电动汽车为中国制造，欢迎中国企业投资可再生能源等领域。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

乔文博大使的访谈透露了两个对新西兰中小企业具有切实影响的动向：服务贸易负面清单谈判有望年底前完成，以及中国在可再生能源设备和电动车领域的投资兴趣。前者若落地，教育、旅游等新西兰传统服务出口领域可能获得更清晰的市场准入规则，中小企业可提前研究中国二三线城市对国际教育、定制旅游的需求增长，但需注意本地竞争对手和资质标准并未消失。后者则呈现双向机会：新西兰超90%发电量来自可再生能源，中国在太阳能板、风力涡轮机和电动车制造上具备成本与规模优势，近四分之三的新西兰电动汽车为中国制造。

中小企业不必直接与大型中企竞争发电投资，而可关注设备分销、安装维护、本地化服务或为绿色氢能等配套环节提供解决方案。同时，游戏产业作为数字贸易新亮点，已有腾讯等中国资本投入，新西兰开发者在全球市场有口碑，但进入中国市场仍需应对版号和文化适配等挑战。另一个视角是风险：过于依赖单一市场存在波动，新西兰对华出口占商品出口总额四分之一，每天约1亿新西兰元的贸易流动既是机遇也是集中度警示，中小企业宜在深耕中国的同时保持对CPTPP和RCEP其他成员市场的拓展。

双边直飞航班每周约60班、中国赴新游客增长超40%，意味着旅游相关中小企业可开发反季节产品和服务，但同样需应对中国游客消费习惯变化。乔文博提到的“一天对华出口相当于对瑞典一年”不是简单的数字修辞，它提醒新西兰企业：中国市场的规模足以改变单一细分行业的成长曲线，但只有那些愿意理解本地规则、建立长期合作的中小企业才能真正分得一杯羹。年底服贸负面清单若达成，新西兰教育机构与中国大学的合作项目已超19家，这为中小型教育科技、职业培训服务商提供了跟随进入的路径，而非等待客户上门。

关键词: APEC, 新西兰驻华大使, 中新经贸合作, 服务贸易负面清单, CPTPP, RCEP, 开放合作, 深圳, 自贸协定

Source: Economic and Commercial Office of the Ministry of Commerce at the Consulate-General in Auckland