Summary
Chinese Consul-General in Auckland Chen Shijie attended the New Zealand Chinese Business Club 2026 Annual Dinner on 31 October 2026 and delivered a speech. More than 400 guests attended, including New Zealand Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Brewer, Labour Party leader and former Prime Minister Hipkins, Auckland Deputy Mayor Simpson, Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Bridges, several MPs, Minister-Counsellor Xie Yongjun of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, and representatives of the business communities of both countries. Chen said that in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Chinese economy has forged ahead through waves, showing vigorous vitality and strong resilience and injecting strong 'new momentum' into world economic development.
China is willing to work with New Zealand to promote Asia-Pacific regional economic integration and sustainable development, and hopes that New Zealand Chinese businesses will continue to leverage their unique advantages to help the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries move forward steadily. New Zealand guests spoke highly of the outcomes of practical New Zealand-China cooperation and fully affirmed the important contributions of the Chinese community to New Zealand's economic and social development, expressing willingness to further consolidate and deepen bilateral relations.
Commentary
The New Zealand Chinese Business Club annual dinner brings together political and business leaders, highlighting the Chinese community's bridging role in the New Zealand economy. The Chinese Consul-General in Auckland stressed the resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and signalled a push for Asia-Pacific regional economic integration. For New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners, this is more than diplomatic rhetoric: they need to watch the commercial logic behind it.
China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding NZ$40 billion in 2025, dominated by primary products such as dairy, timber and meat, though services trade and cross-border e-commerce have grown notably in recent years. Chinese business networks have unique advantages in connecting New Zealand-China supply chains, especially in Auckland, the Asia-Pacific gateway, where SMEs can draw on Chinese businesses' local knowledge and experience of China market access to reduce the trial-and-error costs of entering China's second- and third-tier cities. On the other hand, the attendance of the Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing shows the government values Chinese businesses' contribution to local jobs and innovation, but the participation of the Labour leader also reminds firms to watch policy continuity risks.
China is currently driving a 'new momentum' economic transformation, and green technology and digital services may become new growth points for New Zealand-China cooperation. If New Zealand SMEs can position themselves early in these tracks, they may share in the dividends of China's upgrading domestic demand. However, geopolitical volatility and supply chain restructuring pressures remain, and firms should avoid over-reliance on a single market, using Chinese business networks to diversify risk while continuing to deepen their roots in the local market.
Keywords: Chen Shijie, New Zealand Chinese Business Club, Consul-General, New Zealand-China relations, comprehensive strategic partnership, Asia-Pacific regional economic integration, Chinese community, business community
Photo from Unsplash (placeholder)
Source: Consulate-General of China in Auckland – Consulate-General News
Disclaimer: This article is compiled from publicly available sources for general information only. The analysis and commentary are editorial opinions. MiDeer Observer does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. Readers should seek independent professional advice before relying on this content, or contact us for more information.
