Summary
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley told the Tongzhou Global Development Forum (2026) at Renmin University of China's Tongzhou campus that the world is at a decisive moment and that China's development and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind have become core regional trends with global spillover effects. The forum's theme was 'China's Development and the Asia-Pacific Community'. Shipley said the Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half the world's population, with connectivity, modernisation and resilience at historic highs.
China has set the common goal of building a community with a shared future with 17 neighbouring countries, and its economy accounts for more than a quarter of the total GDP of APEC economies. She highlighted that China will host APEC leaders' meetings and related events in Shenzhen in November 2026 under the theme 'Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Promote Common Prosperity', with openness, innovation and cooperation as the three priority areas. The G20 summit will also be held in December 2026, she said, describing both as important dialogue platforms.
On climate resilience, Shipley endorsed China's ecological vision of green development, low-carbon transition and the free flow of green technologies, and encouraged all parties to view the Pacific Islands Forum as a valuable platform for testing these ideas. New Zealand will host the forum in 2027. She also noted China's leading role in solar photovoltaics, energy storage, energy transition and electric mobility, and said that against the current backdrop of global turbulence, China's role as a connector is crucial in building mutually respectful links between developed and developing countries.
Shipley welcomed a greater leadership role for China in regional and multilateral affairs, including promoting new regional free trade agreements and returning to globally unified rules. She expressed hope that China will in future participate in the CPTPP, an important multilateral platform.
Commentary
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's remarks at the Tongzhou forum highlight new momentum in Asia-Pacific regional cooperation. She specifically noted that China will host the APEC meetings in Shenzhen in November 2026, with a focus on 'building an Asia-Pacific community' and with openness, innovation and cooperation as priority areas. For New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises, this is not only a diplomatic signal but could also translate into concrete business opportunities.
China accounts for more than a quarter of the total GDP of APEC economies and has established a community-with-a-shared-future goal with 17 neighbouring countries, meaning regional supply chain integration and standards alignment will accelerate. New Zealand businesses should watch trade facilitation measures under the APEC framework, such as digital trade rules and green technology cooperation, which could lower cross-border compliance costs for SMEs. At the same time, Shipley encouraged using the Pacific Islands Forum as a platform to test climate resilience concepts, and New Zealand will host the forum in 2027, offering a window for local firms to showcase and collaborate in renewable energy and climate adaptation technologies.
On the other hand, she called for China's participation in the CPTPP, which, if realised, would reshape regional trade rules, and New Zealand exporters need to assess the competition and opportunities in a more open market. Amid current global supply chain turbulence, a strengthened role for China as a 'connector' could provide New Zealand SMEs with more diversified intermediate goods supply and logistics options, but they should also guard against over-reliance on a single market. The outcomes of the Shenzhen APEC will directly affect the Asia-Pacific trade and economic environment for years to come and warrant close monitoring.
Keywords: Jenny Shipley, Shenzhen APEC, Asia-Pacific community, community with a shared future for mankind, CPTPP, Pacific Islands Forum, climate resilience, green transition, multilateralism, Chinese modernisation
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Source: Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China website
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