New Zealand PM eyes closer China ties

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is making his first official visit to China since taking office in 2023, has emphasized the need to expand economic cooperation, enhance education collaboration and strengthen cultural ties with China, New Zealand's biggest trade partner, its largest source country of foreign students and one of the largest source countries of foreign tourists.

Luxon is leading a business delegation from across the sectors of food and beverage, health, education and tourism, which arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday, coinciding with China's June 18 online shopping extravaganza.

"I'm here in China, a global economic powerhouse. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with over 20 percent of our exports coming here. But there is room for so much more," he said in a video posted on social media on Wednesday.

"We're focused on growing trade where New Zealand leads. And that's in areas like education, tourism and agriculture. This market matters. This relationship matters."

In 2024, trade between China and New Zealand reached NZ$38.26 billion ($22.86 billion), with exports to China accounting for 20.6 percent of New Zealand's total exports, supporting more than 100,000 jobs.

China remained a key market for several sectors, such as 31 percent of New Zealand's dairy exports, 61 percent of its timber and 24 percent of its meat, according to the Chinese embassy in New Zealand.

In Shanghai, Luxon met with New Zealand's business representatives and promoted exports, tourism and education opportunities.

"It's been great to see $871 million of commercial agreements signed today between New Zealand businesses and their Chinese partners. This is a clear sign of the strength and momentum in our trade relationship," he said on Thursday, according to a news release from the New Zealand government.

At the headquarters of Chinese travel giant Ctrip on Wednesday, Luxon witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding for strategic cooperation from 2025 to 2027 between Tourism New Zealand and Ctrip.

"More tourism means more spending at local businesses, stronger economic growth, and more jobs and higher wages for Kiwis working hard to get ahead," he said on social media.

During livestreaming with Ctrip to Chinese consumers, he promoted New Zealand's tourist attractions, such as Milford Sound, Mount Cook and the Tasman Glacier.

"I'd like to personally invite you to New Zealand to experience the best country in the world for yourself," Luxon said.

He also highlighted recent visa policy changes, including a 12-month trial visa-free entry policy for Chinese travelers holding valid Australian visas, and offering "less paperwork and cost".

"We're making it easier than ever before for Chinese visitors to travel to New Zealand," he said.

Speaking at Fudan University in Shanghai on Thursday, Luxon underscored the foundational role of people-to-people connections in fostering strong international ties.

Chinese studying in New Zealand and New Zealanders studying in China are the bridge between the two countries, he said. "Exchanges like these set us up for that relationship we want to have in 20 years time. The bigger the relationships we can build with each other, the better the future results will be in 20 years."

He affirmed the growing collaboration between Fudan University and New Zealand universities. "We're focused on deepening our education links through student connections, institutional partnerships, and joint research that benefits both countries," he said.

Nic Smith, vice-chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, who is a member of Luxon's delegation, reinforced this commitment. He introduced the university's collaboration with 259 Chinese institutions over the past five years, which is set to expand even further.

Luxon said: "New Zealand deeply values its long-standing relationship with China. ... We are proud to welcome Chinese students to our world-class institutions, where they gain not only academic knowledge but also the language and cultural skills to thrive in a global environment."

Wang Xin and He Qi contributed to this story.