The New China Paradigm
The China Business Summit was jointly presented by NZ INC. and Auckland Business Chamber. The Summit was held on Monday 3 May 2021 at The Cordis Hotel, Auckland.
A year on since the start of the pandemic, the world was facing growing challenges that would require complex strategic questions to be traversed. A new US Administration, and ongoing trade and investment conflict – including some close to home – together with a changed commercial environment resulting from Covid it created a “New China Paradigm”.
The resilience of the China economy gives reason to be enthusiastic about long-term growth, but as New Zealand looks forward to reopening its borders it is imperative we recognise the playing field with our largest trading partner has changed for key sectors.
The seventh China Business Summit provided a unique business and political perspective on those changes over the previous year, and what this meant for New Zealand, China and the world.
It dove into the challenges and recent trends in the region, unpacking what this meant for New Zealand’s long-term strategy. We heard from business leaders in key sectors including agribusiness, education and tourism, and got insights from those that have been on the ground in China over the past year.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor, Ambassador Wu Xi and a strong array of insightful speakers including former Prime Ministers Rt Hon Helen Clark and Rt Hon Sir John Key discussed the vital opportunities, challenges, and changes in the post-crisis world.
The 2021 Summit included
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and new Trade Minister Damien O’Connor addressed the Summit and provided critical insights into New Zealand’s relationship with its major trading partner, China, in the Covid-19 era.
- View from the Top: Panel featuring high-profile New Zealanders – ANZ chair Sir John Key, WHO Covid-panel co-chair Helen Clark and Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran – discussed the strategy for New Zealand as we looked toward reopening our borders as the global Covid-vaccine rollout progressed; pressures created by the tensions between the US and China, and, what it would take to get NZ business back onto an external growth platform.
- Leading business corporates gave keynote addresses on how the past year has been, and provided detail on the challenges they were grappling with in the region and upcoming issues they were preparing for.
- Business leaders on the ground in China provided insights into the current situation and shared the lessons they have learnt over the past year. They discussed what life had been like for them – and what this means for New Zealand firms in-market.
- Chinese firms shared their experience doing business with China during the pandemic and the e-commerce strategies they have employed to grow links.
- A read-out on the consumer and market changes that have occurred in China, and how Chinese companies have successfully evolved with these changes.
- Detail on the updated FTA agreement between New Zealand and China, including key outcomes, new areas of cooperation and next steps.
Agenda
MIHI WHAKATAU
CALL TO ORDER
- Tim McCready, MC
WELCOME
- Summit Co-Chair: Fran O’Sullivan, Managing Director, NZ INC.
7.30AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Q&A: Fran O’Sullivan
8.15AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Hon Damien O’Connor Minister of Trade and Export Growth
Q&A: Michael Barnett
8.45AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
- Ambassador Wu Xi, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand
Vote of thanks: Michael Barnett
- Rt Hon Sir John Key, Chair ANZ & Former Prime Minister. Sir John has built a unique global business footprint since leaving politics, not only chairing New Zealand’s largest bank but also advising US companies like Comcast on their China business interests as well as Kiwi companies like Zespri. Sir John led annual business missions to China during his time as New Zealand prime minister and met frequently with China’s leadership both in NZ, Beijing and at the prestigious Boao Forum in Hainan.
- Rt Hon Helen Clark, Patron of the Helen Clark Foundation & Former PM. Helen Clark is a leading global public servant who as co-chair of the World Health Organisation panel is probing the global response to Covid-19. In her eight years as head of the United Nations Development Programme she developed pragmatic relationships with key capitals. As prime minister she announced the negotiation of the ground-breaking free trade agreement with China which was signed on her watch in early 2008.
- Greg Foran, Chief Executive, Air New Zealand and Former China Head for Walmart. Air NZ turned a corner with the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble with Australian. Its fortunes were strongly affected when international aviation links became paralysed during the Covid-19 crisis but the airline maintained NZ exporters’ links with China. As the global rollout of Covid vaccines continues the restoration of Air NZ’s China business traveller market will come into scope.
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Managing Director, NZ INC.
10.45AM
- Lisa Li, Managing Director, China Travel Service
- Jamie Tuuta, Chair, Tourism NZ
- Paul Morgan, Chair, Kono NZ LP
- Sirma Karapeeva, CEO, Meat Industry Association
- Professor Guy Littlefair, Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Auckland University of Technology
- Teh-han Chow, CEO, Greater China, Fonterra
- Dan Mathieson, Chief Executive, Zespri International
- Richard Dunsheath, Trade Commissioner, Shanghai
- Ivan Kinsella, Chair of NZ Roundtable in China
- Julia Xu, co-founder and Managing Director Oravida
- Li Yongjian, Dean of E-commerce Department of China Academy of Social Sciences
- Kaisi Li, CFO and e-Commerce Division GM to Beijing, Guangxin Technology Co.
- Brianne West, Founder & CEO of Ethique
- Maggie Zhou, Managing Director (Australia and New Zealand), Alibaba Group
Prize draw courtesy of Air New Zealand
Media Coverage
New Zealand Herald
Newshub
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Opinion: Jacinda Ardern’s business summit speech shows New Zealand’s approach to China is changing
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MPs ‘gravely concerned about severe human rights abuses’ against Uighur people in China’s Xinjiang
RNZ
One News
Newsroom
Politik
Macau Business
Stuff
China Daily
CCTV
Hong Kong Free Press
The Diplomat
Voice of America News
Xinhua