Summary
On 25 October 2026, Deputy Consul-General Wang Junchao of the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland attended and addressed the sixth anniversary celebration of New Zealand's Channel 33 Chinese television. Nearly 800 people attended, including New Zealand's Minister of Media and Communications Paul Goldsmith, Members of Parliament Nancy Lu, Jenny Salesa, Deborah Russell and Carlos Cheung, as well as representatives from various sectors, members of the Chinese community and media professionals in the consular district. Wang said Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently held a phone call and reached broad consensus on continuing the two countries' traditional friendship, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields and advancing the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.
He expressed the hope that Chinese-language media in the consular district will continue to leverage their strengths, use cultural exchange and mutual learning to bring people closer together, and inject more vitality into China-New Zealand mutually beneficial cooperation. The Consulate-General will continue to work with all sectors in the consular district to carry out various cultural activities and contribute to the sustained, sound and steady development of China-New Zealand relations. Guests watched an original stage play, 'Years in Time', and the atmosphere was warm.
Commentary
The sixth anniversary celebration of New Zealand's Channel 33 Chinese television drew nearly 800 attendees from various sectors, including Minister of Media and Communications Paul Goldsmith and several Members of Parliament, underscoring the influence of Chinese-language media in local society. As one of the few television platforms in New Zealand focused on Chinese-language content, Channel 33 plays a role in information dissemination and cultural continuity within the Chinese community, and its growth reflects the expansion of New Zealand's Chinese population and its rising spending power. For New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners, the Chinese community is a market segment that cannot be ignored, and Chinese-language media are an efficient channel for reaching this group.
Through sponsorship or advertising, businesses can precisely target Chinese consumers, particularly in sectors such as real estate, education, tourism and retail. On the other hand, the recent high-level phone call between China and New Zealand signalled a strengthening of cooperation, and Chinese-language media, as a bridge, may drive more cultural exchange and business matchmaking activities, creating opportunities for local businesses to engage with the Chinese market. However, businesses also need to be mindful of cultural differences and the compliance of media content, avoiding damage to brand image from political sensitivities.
The continued operation of Channel 33 shows that Chinese-language media are commercially viable in New Zealand, and the high-level participation in its celebration suggests a stable tone in China-New Zealand relations, offering a degree of certainty for businesses that rely on Chinese supply chains or markets.
Keywords: Wang Junchao, Channel 33 Chinese TV, sixth anniversary celebration, Paul Goldsmith, China-New Zealand relations, Chinese-language media, cultural exchange, people-to-people bonds, Consulate-General, stage play 'Years in Time'
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