Consul-General Chen Shijie attends 40th anniversary of Hamilton-Wuxi sister-city relationship

Summary

On 13 August, Chinese Consul-General in Auckland Chen Shijie attended and spoke at a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the Hamilton-Wuxi sister-city relationship. Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe, city councillors and nearly 100 representatives from various sectors attended. Chen said the exchanges were a vivid local example and a microcosm of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

He hoped the two cities would implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, build stronger bridges for people-to-people ties and ensure more cooperation projects take root. The Consulate-General would continue to support practical cooperation with China in its consular district. Macindoe recalled his visit to Wuxi in March and praised China's achievements in Chinese-style modernisation.

Delegation members shared their observations on trade, culture and tourism, and infrastructure. Members of the Chinese community and secondary school students performed Chinese folk music, including "Daliu Taosha", "Erquan Yingyue" and "Xiyangyang".

Commentary

A 40-year sister-city link between Hamilton and Wuxi stands as a rare example of China-New Zealand subnational cooperation. Waikato is known for dairy and agritech, while Wuxi is a manufacturing and internet-of-things hub in the Yangtze River Delta — a pairing that gives the two regions complementary industrial chains. For NZ SMEs, the sister-city mechanism offers a low-threshold route into southern Jiangsu's high-spending market.

Through government-led business matchmaking, dairy and functional food suppliers can reach regional distributors without the cost of building their own networks. But sister-city events do not automatically produce orders, and companies must actively follow up on specific cooperation projects. Competition in China is also intensifying, and New Zealand brands need verifiable differentiation in grass-fed and organic certification to avoid being homogenised with Australian firms.

If the infrastructure and cultural tourism interest flagged during the March delegation visit turns into cold-chain or agritech projects, local service providers could gain subcontracting opportunities.

Keywords: Hamilton, Wuxi, sister city, Chen Shijie, Macindoe, 40th anniversary, China-New Zealand relations, Consulate-General, local cooperation, Chinese folk music

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

8月13日，中国驻奥克兰总领事陈世杰出席汉密尔顿与无锡结为友城四十周年庆祝活动并致辞，汉密尔顿市长麦金多、市议员及各界代表近百人参加。陈世杰表示，友城交往是中新全面战略伙伴关系在地方层面的生动实践和缩影，希望两市落实两国领导人重要共识，全面搭设民心相通桥梁，推动更多合作项目落地生根；总领馆将继续支持领区对华务实合作。麦金多回顾3月访锡经历，赞扬中国式现代化成就，访华团成员从经贸、文旅、基建等方面分享感悟。

现场侨胞和中学生演奏《大浪淘沙》《二泉映月》《喜洋洋》等中国民乐。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

汉密尔顿与无锡结好四十年，属中新地方合作罕见样本。怀卡托以乳制品、农业科技见长，无锡是长三角制造与物联网枢纽，产业链互补。对NZ中小企业，友城机制提供低门槛进入苏南高消费市场的渠道：通过政府商务对接，乳品、功能食品供应商可接触区域经销商，省去自建成本。

但友城活动不自动生成订单，企业需主动跟进具体合作项目；且中国市场竞争加剧，新西兰品牌须在草饲、有机认证上建立可验证差异，规避与澳企同质化。3月访华团提及的基建与文旅意向，若转化为冷链或农业科技项目，或为本地服务商带来分包机会。

关键词: 汉密尔顿, 无锡, 友好城市, 陈世杰, 麦金多, 四十周年, 中新关系, 总领馆, 地方合作, 中国民乐

Source: Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland – Consulate-General News