Exclusive: Former NZ PM Jenny Shipley says Shenzhen APEC can chart course out of ‘difficult moment’

Summary

Former New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley says New Zealand will take an active part in the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen and wants consensus on multilateral co-operation, free trade and climate change. Speaking to CMG's Global Insight during the Mingde Strategic Dialogue (2026) in Beijing on 11 October, Shipley said the leaders' meeting is about promoting Asia-Pacific co-operation. New Zealand, though small, loves peace and respects rules, and wants the rule of law and the multilateral system respected and effectively implemented, she said.

New Zealand will attend actively to push co-operation forward, aligning with China's desire to promote innovation, collaboration and connectivity — themes highly relevant to New Zealand, China and Pacific neighbours, she said. New Zealand and Australia carry a heavy responsibility in helping neighbouring countries achieve shared development, and those countries will also benefit from connectivity, including access to new technologies, she said. Climate change is a major issue in the Pacific, where sea levels are rising, and APEC is the framework in which to discuss sharing technology, mitigating impacts or helping people adapt to environmental change, she said.

Shipley believes New Zealand will benefit from the meeting. New Zealand supports dialogue, exchange and fair competition, and sees APEC as very important at present: if economies' leaders attend, they can discuss fairness, transparency and free trade, and she genuinely hopes for progress in these areas. Global protectionism is rising rather than falling, and APEC needs to state its position and explore how to move out of a difficult moment, she said.

Commentary

Former New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley's expectations for the Shenzhen APEC meeting reflect smaller economies' reliance on multilateral co-operation mechanisms. APEC accounts for about 60 percent of global GDP, and trade facilitation measures among its 21 member economies directly affect the export costs of New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises. With global protectionism on the rise and WTO reform stalled, APEC has become a key platform for New Zealand to uphold the rules-based order.

For NZ SMEs, if the meeting advances unified digital trade rules, cross-border e-commerce compliance costs will fall; if consensus is reached on sharing climate change technology, clean-technology firms can open up Pacific island markets. Note, however, that APEC outcomes are mostly non-binding commitments, and businesses should watch for follow-up bilateral agreements. The connectivity Shipley emphasised aligns with New Zealand's 'Pacific Reset' strategy, and SMEs can use regional co-operation projects to win contracts in infrastructure, digital services and other areas.

Keywords: Jenny Shipley, APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, Shenzhen, multilateral co-operation, free trade, climate change, protectionism, connectivity

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

新西兰前总理珍妮·希普利10月11日在北京参加明德战略对话(2026)期间，接受总台环球资讯《全球洞察》记者独家专访时表示，新西兰愿积极参与即将在中国深圳举行的亚太经合组织第三十三次领导人非正式会议，期待会议就多边合作、自由贸易、应对气候变化等重大议题达成共识，为全球走出“艰难时刻”探寻方向。希普利说，从新西兰视角看，APEC领导人会议旨在促进亚太地区合作；新西兰虽是小国，但热爱和平、尊重规则，希望法治和多边体系得到尊重和有效落实。她表示，新西兰将积极参会推动合作，这与中国推动创新、协作与互联互通的愿望高度一致，这些主题与新西兰、中国以及太平洋邻国高度相关；新西兰和澳大利亚在帮助邻国实现共同发展方面责任重大，相关国家也将从互联互通中受益，包括具备使用新技术的能力。

她还指出，气候变化是太平洋地区重要议题，海平面正不断上升，需要在APEC框架下讨论如何共享技术、缓解影响或帮助人们适应环境变化。希普利相信新西兰会从APEC领导人会议中受益，新西兰支持对话、交流以及公平竞争，认为APEC就当下而言非常重要，如果各经济体领导人前来参会，将能够就公平、透明度和自由贸易等重大议题开展讨论，她真心期待各方在这些领域取得进展。她并指出，当前全球保护主义不降反升，APEC需要表达立场，探索如何走出艰难时刻。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

新西兰前总理希普利对深圳APEC会议的期待，折射出中小经济体对多边合作机制的依赖。APEC占全球GDP约60%，其21个成员经济体的贸易便利化措施直接影响新西兰中小企业的出口成本。当前全球保护主义抬头，WTO改革停滞，APEC成为新西兰维护规则秩序的关键平台。

对NZ SME而言，若会议推动数字贸易规则统一，将降低跨境电商合规成本；若在气候变化技术共享上达成共识，则清洁技术企业可开拓太平洋岛国市场。但需注意，APEC成果多为非约束性承诺，企业应关注后续双边协议落地。希普利强调的互联互通与新西兰‘太平洋重置’战略一致，中小企业可借区域合作项目获取基建、数字服务等合同机会。

关键词: 珍妮·希普利, APEC领导人非正式会议, 深圳, 多边合作, 自由贸易, 气候变化, 保护主义, 互联互通

Source: China Tibet Online