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Time to Act
By 2020 China will be the world’s largest economy and while it’s already New Zealand’s second largest trading partner, there is scope for far more benefit for New Zealand business.
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with NZ INC Ltd, held the inaugural China Business Summit in Auckland on October 3 – aimed to galvanise businesses into action and provided a platform to increase business engagement between China and New Zealand.
Chaired by Michael Barnett and Fran O’Sullivan, the China Business Summit opened with an address from Prime Minister John Key who discussed the Government’s evolving China strategy and future direction.
2012 commemorated 40 years of diplomatic ties with China and four years since the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China was signed.
High-calibre speakers challenged current thinking and set a big-picture agenda for business and included Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings, NZ Trade and Enterprise Trade Commissioner – Guangzhou Pat English, Mainfreight CEO and Deloitte/Top 200 Executive of the Year (2011) Don Braid, China investment specialist David Mahon and China strategist Alan Carroll. Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce also addressed the summit on the practical steps the Government is taking to expand NZ’s business engagement with China.
Break-out sessions chaired by Fran O’Sullivan and Pat English provided an opportunity for attendees to engage in practical sessions with emerging New Zealand companies doing business in China and established companies who have established a firm footprint. Fran O’Sullivan said the great lesson from the established companies was to keep on the edge of innovation, protect valuable IP, and be selective when engaging with the multitude of markets in China.
The 2012 Summit included
Agenda
7.30AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Q&A: Fran O’Sullivan
8.15AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Hon David Parker, Minister of Trade and Export Growth
9.00AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Ambassador Wu Xi, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand
9.15AM
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Three leading CEOs spoke on how Covid-19 affected their businesses and their strategies for managing through the crisis including business with China.
- Greg Foran, Chief Executive, Air New Zealand and former China head for Walmart. Air NZ was strongly affected when international aviation links became paralysed during the Covid-19 crisis. Despite this, Air NZ played a critical role assisting exporters maintain links with the Chinese markets.
- Antonia Watson, Chief Executive, ANZ Bank New Zealand. As the CEO of New Zealand’s largest trading bank, Antonia Watson has a unique insight into how NZ firms – including those with major exposures to China – handled the Covid-19 crisis. That focus is informed by ANZ’s own banking experts based in China.
- Miles Hurrell, Chief Executive, Fonterra. Fonterra had a unique and early insight into the emergence of the Covid-19 threat. Miles Hurrell said its China food business ‘almost stopped overnight’. But the dairy cooperative’s agility and unique projection of its products meant Fonterra hardly missed a beat during the crisis.
Moderated by Fran O’Sullivan
11.20AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Hu Shuli, Founder and publisher of Caixin Media
As founder of China’s leading financial press, Hu Shuli shared her insights into China’s handling of Covid-19 and the implications for the bilateral business relationship. Internationally recognized for her achievements in journalism, Ms Hu was named one of the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune in 2017.
12.00PM
Strategies used by companies to keep exports flowing during the Covid-19 crisis
These range from the strategy NZTE deployed during the height of the Covid-19 crisis to assist exporters on the ground in China. Lessons learned from leading export focused companies and thoughts on how the New Zealand brand could be projected into China whilst the direct links were still marginal.
- Charles Finny, NZ Trade & Enterprise director and former NZ deputy chief of mission in Beijing
- Jade Gray, Co-Founder of Gung Ho! Ventures in China
- David Courtney, Chief Grower & Alliances Officer at Zespri International
Moderated by Mark Hiddleston, Managing Director Commercial & Agri ANZ
1.30PM
Chinese businesses invested in New Zealand are taking steps to recover from the impact of Covid-19.
Chinese firms have rapidly expanded their business footprint with New Zealand since the 2008 bilateral free trade agreement was signed ranging from investments in major aviation ties, tourism, food and beverage, technologies and construction. In this session we talked with Chinese firms about the impact on their bilateral business, investment matters and future prospects.
- Lily Wang, General Manager, China Southern Airlines (Auckland)
- Xiaoyu Kang, Managing Director COSCO Shipping Lines (New Zealand)
- Gavin Yang, CEO, Trademonster
- Yanek Fan, Managing Director, Huawei Technologies New Zealand
- Terry Lee, Managing Director, Milk New Zealand
2.30PM
The session explored lessons from SMEs that have successfully built businesses with China. The focus was on how panelists’ businesses were affected by the Covid-19 crisis; critical pivot points that ensured business continuity during the various lockdowns, strategies employed as China and New Zealand got back to business and lessons for the future.
- Nicola O’Rourke, General Manager, Lewis Road Creamery and Chair NZ Food Basket
- Tara Tan, Founder & Director, Grin Natural Products
- Kiri Nathan, Founder & CEO Kiri Nathan
- Paul Cook, Managing Director at Marque Magnetics
Moderated by Mike Arand, China Business Development Adviser, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
3.45PM (STREAM A)
Building a bridge to China.
E-commerce clearly came into its own during the Covid-19 crisis. But will the trend accelerate? And what will it take to reinstate safe travel between New Zealand and China in the Covid-19 era? Those were the questions we asked experts about and talked about the strategies the tourism and education sectors were to employ to keep the Kiwi brand upper mind until air links could be restored. We also learned about how the ‘Southern Link’ initiative between China-NZ-Latam was proving its worth.
- Adrienne Young-Cooper, Acting Chair, Queenstown Airport
- Lisa Li, Managing Director, China Travel Service
- Rachel Maidment, Executive Director, NZ China Council
- Pier Smulders, Country Manager, New Zealand at Alibaba
- Professor Jenny Dixon, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Engagement), University of Auckland
Moderated by Tim McCready, Director of Innovation, NZ INC.
3.45PM (STREAM B)
Collaborating through Covid-19 and Beyond.
The Covid-19 pandemic had an economic impact on Auckland – which is not only New Zealand’s key “International City” but an important international gateway into NZ. Auckland has benefited from immigration, investment and innovation out of China and is home to a large number of Chinese migrants. Tourism operators adapted to leverage the New Zealand brand in other areas at a time where travel is restricted.
We heard from relevant business organisational leaders on their ideas for leveraging the ‘people to people’ and business connections to strengthen Auckland’s economy.
- Felicity Roxburgh, Director Business, Asia New Zealand Foundation
- Michael Barnett, CEO, Auckland Chamber
- Martin Thomson, Chairman, New Zealand China Trade Association
- Pania Tyson-Nathan, Chief Executive, Māori Tourism
Moderated by Pam Ford, GM Economic Development, Ateed
4.45PM
STREAM SUMMARIES: What have we learned?
- Pam Ford and Tim McCready
5.00PM
SUMMIT SUMMARY
- Summit Co-chairs Michael Barnett and Fran O’Sullivan
Air New Zealand Prize Draw
5.15PM
NETWORKING DRINKS
With Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff who as a former Trade Minister in the Helen Clark Labour Government inked NZ’s 2008 free trade agreement with China and maintains a strong interest in the benefits his city gains from a strong China relationship. Mayor Goff was introduced by Ateed CEO Nick Hill.
Media Coverage
NZ INC.