Summary
On the eve of the 2024 Spring Festival, a flight carrying Guangdong festive dishes such as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Poon Choi departed Baiyun Airport for New Zealand and Australia, marking the start of Chinese festive cuisine's push into international markets. Xia Yang, chairman of the board of New Zealand AFC Holdings Group and chairman of Yunshijie Network Technology, is one of the driving forces behind this overseas expansion. Over the past two years, Xia has been steadily expanding the business footprint of Guangdong products, from flying festive dishes to Australia and New Zealand to co-initiating the 'Guangdong Prepared Dishes Overseas Alliance' and establishing the 'Guangdong Prepared Dishes New Zealand Production, Sales and Research Centre' in New Zealand.
In a recent exclusive interview, Xia said his team has been promoting prepared dishes overseas since 2023. In 2024, with guidance from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, support from China Southern Airlines and media assistance, they brought prepared dishes to New Zealand and Australia, achieving a three-way collaboration of 'industry + media + overseas Chinese'. He noted that the high labour costs of Cantonese chefs overseas and the scarcity of those who can produce authentic Cantonese cuisine mean that distinctive, easy-to-preserve items such as pigeon are key directions for the next phase of prepared dishes going global.
In response to New Zealand's stringent import food regulations covering traceability, labelling and allergen declaration, Xia believes that lower-value-added products face greater difficulties in entering the market. The key is to win over foreign palates with 'Chinese flavours' and build a food culture recognised by the local mainstream market. He also said that China-New Zealand trade is accelerating its extension from goods trade to services trade.
New Zealand companies not only want to buy goods but also want to take Chinese technology and AI application solutions back home. Guangdong, as a major manufacturing and foreign trade province, offers strengths in new energy, new materials and food and agricultural products that are of interest to the New Zealand market. The differences between Guangdong and New Zealand are precisely where cooperation can be leveraged, and Guangdong enterprises can focus on 'AI + foreign trade'.
Commentary
The entry of Guangdong prepared dishes into New Zealand is a microcosm of the broader shift in China-New Zealand trade from traditional goods trade to higher-value-added food and services trade. New Zealand's food market relies heavily on imports, but access regulations are strict, particularly regarding traceability, labelling and allergen declaration. Local giants such as Fonterra dominate dairy, while the Asian food segment remains largely led by small and medium-sized importers and Chinese channels, creating differentiation space for Guangdong prepared dishes.
For NZ SME owners, there are opportunities to improve supply chain efficiency in food service—local Chinese restaurants, for instance, could reduce reliance on costly Cantonese chefs. Meanwhile, New Zealand food companies could learn from the 'Chinese flavour + localisation' strategy to tap into Chinese and Asian markets in return. Notably, Xia mentioned that New Zealand companies hope to adopt Chinese AI application solutions, hinting that services trade will become a new growth point.
Guangdong's experience in cross-border e-commerce and AI trade tools could help NZ SMEs optimise export processes to China, for example by using AI for Chinese market compliance analysis or consumer insights. However, prepared dishes still face challenges in gaining acceptance from mainstream local consumers, requiring long-term brand building rather than relying solely on the Chinese community. New Zealand companies could consider partnering with Guangdong firms to establish local R&D centres, adapting products to Australian and New Zealand tastes while leveraging RCEP tariff preferences to reduce raw material import costs.
Keywords: Guangdong prepared dishes, New Zealand, Xia Yang, festive dishes going global, services trade, AI + foreign trade, Australia-New Zealand market, production-sales-research centre
Photo by kewl on Pixabay
Source: Sina Finance
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.
