Summary
Yang Jian, president of the New Zealand Chinese Business Federation, led a delegation to Chengdu on 9 September 2026, holding talks at the Tianyi Nongyuan Art Expo Park with Xu Yanmei, a member of the party leadership group and secretary-general of the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and Zhang Li, a member of the party leadership group, vice-chair and secretary-general of the Chengdu federation. The group also included members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand Chinese Business Club, and was accompanied by Nongyuan Group chairwoman Yang Li and Zhao Ling, honorary president of the New Zealand Sichuan-Chongqing General Chamber of Commerce. Zhang Li welcomed the delegation, saying Chengdu pairs a deep Tianfu cultural heritage with modern, open industrial strengths.
She said the federation would act as a bridge, steadily consolidating friendly ties between Chengdu and New Zealand Chinese community organisations and encouraging both sides to contribute to economic and social development in their respective regions. Speaking for the Sichuan federation, Xu Yanmei extended a warm welcome and described overseas Chinese as a valuable bridge linking China and New Zealand. The two countries have complementary industries and close people-to-people ties, she said, with broad prospects for co-operation in cultural and creative industries, modern agriculture, health and wellness, and international trade.
The provincial federation would act as a promoter, service provider and connector for China-New Zealand co-operation, establishing a regular exchange mechanism and sending Chinese arts groups to New Zealand for performances and joint exhibitions, to advance joint artistic creation, tourism and cultural links, industrial co-operation and talent exchanges. Yang Jian thanked the Sichuan and Chengdu federations for their hospitality and set out the New Zealand Chinese Business Federation's development. Cultural affinity is the foundation of economic and trade integration, he said, and federation platforms give strong support to connecting government, business and commercial resources in China and overseas.
Sichuan and Chengdu carry strong momentum and are a priority for overseas Chinese investors, and the federation will use its platform to organise exchanges and visits and deepen practical co-operation across a range of sectors. An intangible cultural heritage display and exchange area featured live demonstrations of bamboo weaving, palm weaving, shadow puppetry and paper-cutting. The New Zealand delegation toured the park and was struck by its NY20+ international artist residency programme, the green regeneration concept behind the "Tuixu · Regeneration Art Season", and work created jointly by New Zealand artists in residence and local culture.
Commentary
The visit to Chengdu by the New Zealand Chinese Business Federation and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce signals that China-New Zealand commercial ties are extending into services — cultural and creative industries, modern agriculture and health and wellness. As a consumer centre in western China with a population of more than 20 million, Chengdu shows steadily rising demand for quality New Zealand agricultural products and health services. NZ SMEs can use the networks of overseas Chinese federations and chambers of commerce to test supermarket or e-commerce channels in the south-west.
The caveat is that visits of this kind are largely framework exchanges, and actual commercial outcomes still turn on market access, distribution and compliance costs. Competition in Chengdu is intense, with local brands and e-commerce platforms dominant, and the cost of trial and error is high for firms without a local team. The arts performances and tourism links discussed offer a showcase for New Zealand creative and tourism businesses, but short-term commercial returns are limited.
With 97 percent of New Zealand enterprises being SMEs and resources scarce, firms should prioritise niche segments with a strong fit rather than chase trends. Watch for follow-up chamber exchanges and time market entry against Chengdu consumer data.
Keywords: New Zealand Chinese Business Federation, Yang Jian, Chengdu, Sichuan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, China-New Zealand exchange, Tianyi Nongyuan, overseas Chinese business co-operation, intangible cultural heritage
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.
