Consul General Chen Shijie Attends Opening Ceremony of 7th ‘Xiangshang Cup’ New Zealand National Wushu Championships — Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Auckland

Summary

Auckland, September 5 — Chen Shijie, Consul General of China in Auckland, attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 7th 'Xiangshang Cup' New Zealand National Wushu Championships. New Zealand Members of Parliament Nancy Lu, Carlos Cheung and Deborah Russell, New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation chairman Glenn Keith, and hundreds of guests from various sectors attended. Chen said wushu is a striking calling card of Chinese culture, carrying the Eastern wisdom of ceaseless self-improvement and of valuing virtue and harmony — an outlook that aligns with the common values of people in all countries: health, goodness and striving together.

Chinese wushu culture has become deeply integrated into New Zealand's multicultural ecosystem, he said, injecting warm and lasting people-to-people momentum into the development of China-New Zealand relations. The Consulate General will, as always, support cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China in its consular district, promote mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples and mutual learning between civilisations, and help China-New Zealand relations achieve steady and sustained development. The championships were co-hosted by the New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation and the New Zealand Hunan General Chamber of Commerce, covering categories such as wushu routines, tai chi and sanda.

The atmosphere was lively.

Commentary

This looks like a cultural event, but it carries clues to the China-New Zealand economic and trade network. As one of the organisers, the New Zealand Hunan General Chamber of Commerce has backed the martial arts championship for seven consecutive years — a sign that Chinese chambers of commerce are building a foundation of business trust through cultural activity. For New Zealand SME owners, that makes it more than a cultural and sporting exchange: it is a window on Chinese business circles and Asian markets.

New Zealand's Chinese population is about 270,000, more than 60% of them concentrated in Auckland, forming a sizeable niche consumer market. Acceptance of martial arts, tai chi, sanda and other disciplines is rising among New Zealand's various ethnic groups; Stats NZ's 2023 leisure activity survey, for example, shows tai chi is one of the faster-growing low-to-moderate-intensity exercises. That provides real demand for local SMEs such as fitness venues, equipment retail, sportswear and event operations.

The seventh edition covers categories such as routines, tai chi and sanda, with hundreds of participants on site. If SME owners view it as a precision marketing channel, through sponsorship, booths or joint promotion they can reach health- and culture-oriented Chinese and mainstream families at relatively low cost. At the same time, the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland explicitly supports people-to-people and cultural exchanges with China in its consular district, which lowers information and trust barriers for New Zealand SMEs seeking to establish contacts with China through the cultural sector.

Cooperating with regional chambers of commerce such as the Hunan General Chamber of Commerce, for example, gives SMEs access to trade resources and partner recommendations in specific Chinese provinces; local sports organisations such as the New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation can serve as potential channels into China's s

Keywords: Consul General Chen Shijie, 7th 'Xiangshang Cup' New Zealand National Wushu Championships, opening ceremony, China-New Zealand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation, New Zealand Hunan General Chamber of Commerce, wushu routines, tai chi, sanda, Glenn Keith

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