Summary
The China Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand (CCCNZ) will host its 'Vision 2026 & Charity Gala' on Friday 5 December 2025 from 2:00pm to 9:00pm (starting at 2:30pm) at Under the Dome, Auckland Museum, with more than 300 chamber members and business partners expected to attend. Confirmed speakers include Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and chamber president and Bank of China New Zealand CEO Warren Hu. The event features addresses by political figures on trade growth and future cooperation, remarks by the Chinese Ambassador, and a briefing by the chamber president on the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the chamber's 2025 trade delegation to China.
Two panel discussions will focus on 'Infrastructure for Growth: Bridging the Delivery and Financing Gap' and 'AI: Innovation and Cross-Border Cooperation'. The dinner (6:30pm–9:30pm) includes remarks by Chris Hipkins, National MP Nancy Lu, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (New Zealand) CEO Liu Bin, along with three rounds of charity auctions supporting Wheel Blacks and CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research, plus Chinese song and dance performances.
Commentary
The CCCNZ's upcoming Vision 2026 event brings together Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong and Labour leader Chris Hipkins, underscoring the importance of New Zealand-China trade ties amid the current geopolitical climate. For New Zealand SME owners, the event is more than high-level dialogue — it sends practical business signals. Chamber president Warren Hu will brief attendees on the eighth CIIE and the chamber's 2025 trade delegation to China, offering SMEs a direct channel into the Chinese market.
As the world's first national-level expo themed on imports, CIIE recorded US$80.01 billion in intended deals in 2024. New Zealand firms can cut exhibition costs by joining chamber delegations and connect with distributors in China's tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Meanwhile, the two panel discussions focus on infrastructure financing and cross-border AI cooperation.
The first echoes New Zealand's NZ$210 billion infrastructure gap over the next decade; the second touches on China's rapid iteration in AI applications — SMEs should focus on how to bring Chinese AI tools (such as intelligent customer service and supply chain optimisation) into local operations rather than viewing them solely as a competitive threat. The charity auctions at dinner support Wheel Blacks and CatWalk spinal cord injury research, showing the chamber's intent to integrate into local communities and helping ease some public concerns about Chinese-invested firms. Notably, Labour and National MPs will speak on the same stage, indicating cross-party consensus on trade cooperation with China remains intact, though firms should watch for policy volatility in an election year.
Large exporters such as Fonterra and Zespri are already deeply tied to the Chinese market, while SMEs should use the chamber's network to find differentiated opportunities in niche areas such as functional foods and environmental technology.
Keywords: China Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand, Vision 2026, charity gala, China International Import Expo, trade delegation, Chris Hipkins, Wang Xiaolong, charity auction, artificial intelligence, infrastructure
Source: CCCNZ
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