Summary
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a visit by diplomatic envoys to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 11 to 14 October 2026. Ambassadors and senior diplomats from 32 countries, including Croatia, New Zealand, Austria, Tunisia, Uruguay, South Korea and the United Kingdom, took part. Li Yifei, Secretary of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Party Committee, and Chairman Zhang Yupu met the delegation.
Li said this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and Ningxia is building a higher-standard inland open economy pilot zone as it moves faster to build a beautiful new Ningxia and write a Ningxia chapter of Chinese-style modernisation. He expressed willingness to deepen friendship and mutual trust and expand exchanges and cooperation with all countries. During their stay, the envoys visited the Fujian-Ningxia Practice Exhibition Hall on East-West cooperation and the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, and attended the 47th World Congress of Vine and Wine.
The envoys spoke highly of the great achievements of 30 years of East-West cooperation and praised Ningxia's wine industry development, ethnic unity and progress, and ecological desertification control, expressing willingness to carry out exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields.
Commentary
Ningxia, an inland province in western China, is seeking broader international cooperation through its inland open economy pilot zone. The visit by envoys from 32 countries, particularly the attendance of the New Zealand ambassador, offers a new window for New Zealand SMEs to observe China's regional markets. Although Ningxia is not a traditional trading partner for New Zealand, its wine industry has developed rapidly in recent years, and the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains have become an important wine-producing area in China, with potential for both competition and cooperation with New Zealand regions such as Marlborough.
New Zealand wine is known for varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, while Ningxia focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan, creating differentiation in varieties and markets. It is worth noting that overall consumption in China's wine market is levelling off, but competition between domestic and imported wine is intensifying, and New Zealand wine merchants need to watch the cost advantages of Ningxia's production area under policy support. On the other hand, Ningxia's experience in desertification control and new energy may offer entry points for cooperation for New Zealand agricultural technology and environmental protection companies.
The delegation's high praise for ethnic unity and ecological governance reflects the emphasis Chinese local governments place on sustainable development narratives when attracting foreign investment. If New Zealand SMEs consider entering China's central and western markets, they should assess Ningxia's potential as a logistics node and the niche opportunities brought by local consumption upgrading.
Keywords: diplomatic envoys, Ningxia visit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Li Yifei, Fujian-Ningxia cooperation, Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, World Congress of Vine and Wine, inland open economy pilot zone
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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