China

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no such thing as business as usual. To find out how businesses on the ground in Asia are working in a new environment, last week, the Asia New Zealand Foundation surveyed more than 100 of its business stakeholders across Asia, from Cambodia to South Korea. In this quick snapshot, entrepreneurs and business people gave their …

Neil Warren, UNSW and Richard Highfield, UNSW Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr famously observed in 1927 that “taxes are what we pay for civilised society, including the chance to insure”. Whilst tax as a price for civilised society is well understood, less appreciated is the second part of his observation – that tax provides a chance to insure against a crisis. …

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra After the COVID crisis, what will be the “new normal” in Australia’s relations with China? The short answer is, probably both worse and more complicated than pre-COVID. This week has seen a fresh low point, with the Chinese government threatening economic retribution in response to the Morrison government’s call for an independent international inquiry into …

Tony Walker, La Trobe University Australia’s relationship with China is fractured. Arguably, this is the worst moment in Sino-Australian relations since Gough Whitlam normalised ties on his election in December 1972. The Chinese saying “kill the chicken to frighten the monkey” would seem applicable in Beijing’s reaction to Australia’s push for an investigation into the operations of the World Health …

As the human and economic cost of the COVID-19 epidemic continues to reveal itself across the globe, in some quarters the blame game has already begun. Liam Finnigan suggests now is not the time to beat any drum demanding China take responsibility for the pandemic.  In what initially appeared to be a casual interview on TV3’s  AM Show, the US …

New Zealand has a challenge to broaden its Asia markets and agricultural consultant Keith Woodford asks: will New Zealand broaden its Asian perspective, or will China always dominate as a market destination? Over the last 12 years, we have seen a remarkable increase in exports to China since the Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2008. I recall in that …

Miles Hurrell, chief executive of Fonterra, gave a Q&A through the Trans-Tasman Business Circle on resilient leadership in challenging times. Tim McCready gives an overview of what was discussed. The full interview is available at the bottom of this article. Fonterra started to become aware of the escalating Covid-19 situation in China in January, says chief executive Miles Hurrell. Fonterra …

As many western nations continue to suffer the deadly wrath of the coronavirus, in China the immediate crisis has passed , and the focus is on re-kindling the economy and securing trade supply lines with the west that have taken a battering. At the same time, China is busy with a soft-power programme of medical aid, exporting PPE to nations …

 The COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan was a devastating blow to China, leading to a global health and economic crisis which is a long way from over. Businesses across New Zealand face the collapse of trade with China, business that has sustained and grown their enterprises over many years. Graeme Acton talks to crayfish industry leader Campbell Gin, about the impact here, and …

Haiqing Yu, RMIT University and Michael Keane, Curtin University China has gradually emerged out of its shadow of despair as the epicentre where the coronavirus pandemic started. Now, there is face saving required – as well as agenda-setting in the global power play. China played a decisive role in combating the invisible enemy. Chinese officials and academics are taking this …