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

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