China Business Summit: 2020

• 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.

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

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

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.

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.

Moderated by Pam Ford, GM Economic Development, Ateed

STREAM SUMMARIES: What have we learned?

• Pam Ford and Tim McCready

SUMMIT SUMMARY

• Summit Co-chairs Michael Barnett and Fran O’Sullivan

Air New Zealand Prize Draw