NZ ambassador to China Qiao Wenbo tours Jiajiayue Group

Summary

New Zealand's Ambassador to China, Qiao Wenbo, led a delegation to Jiajiayue Group on 3 September for a dedicated inspection visit. He was accompanied by Lin Haibin, deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Cong Longhai, director of the Weihai Foreign Affairs Office. Jiajiayue chairman Wang Peihuan and assistant general manager Wang Zhiyi received the delegation.

The two sides discussed bringing premium New Zealand products to market, deepening supply chain coordination and building longer-term, diversified cooperation. The delegation toured Jiajiayue's Weihai Jiulongcheng store, focusing on the New Zealand imported goods section. It reviewed point-of-sale sales, consumer feedback and market promotion for honey, fresh fruit, dairy products and beverages, and commended Jiajiayue's approach of building a quality retail business and selecting premium products from around the world.

The delegation then visited Jiajiayue Yuntong Technology and the Weihai logistics centre to inspect the company's digital logistics management system, including its ability to deliver fresh imported goods direct and trace them end to end. Jiajiayue applies a 'buy the world, taste the world' global direct sourcing philosophy and is deepening trade cooperation with New Zealand. The company said it will keep expanding commercial exchange and cooperation with New Zealand, bring in more high-quality and diverse imported products, and help upgrade China-New Zealand trade and business cooperation.

Commentary

The visit by New Zealand's ambassador to Jiajiayue, a leading Shandong retailer, underlines how New Zealand is using regional retail channels to push higher-value food exports into China. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, but growth in traditional bulk dairy trade has slowed, making categories such as honey, fresh fruit and beverages key areas for expansion. For New Zealand SMEs, Jiajiayue's dense store network across Shandong and northern China, combined with a full-traceability cold chain, offers a way to bypass the high cost of building their own channels and move straight onto shelves in tier-two and tier-three cities.

They should note, however, that Jiajiayue's global direct sourcing model means competing on price against suppliers from Australia, Chile and elsewhere, and that regional consumers are price-sensitive. Smaller brands should emphasise differentiation — UMF-certified mānuka honey, grass-fed dairy — and use sell-through data fed back through the digital system to adjust supply quickly. The ambassador's own inspection of point-of-sale sales and consumer feedback also signals that Wellington is watching the entire chain from export through to retail.

If Jiajiayue expands its New Zealand import volumes as planned, SMEs with compliant labelling and stable capacity are the most likely to win priority shelf space.

Keywords: New Zealand Ambassador to China, Qiao Wenbo, Jiajiayue Group, China-New Zealand trade cooperation, imported goods, supply chain coordination, Weihai, global direct sourcing, dairy products, honey

Source: Jiajiayue Group