On April 22nd, New Zealand-China Business Assembly Forum was jointly held by China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee and New Zealand China Trade Association via video link in Beijing and Auckland. Gao Yan, Chairperson of CCPIT and CCOIC; Huang Zhiqiang, Vice Chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Clare Fearnley, New Zealand Ambassador to China, attended the forum in Beijing Hotel and delivered speeches. Wu Xi, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, and Martin Thomson, Chairman of the New Zealand China Trade Association, attended the forum online and delivered speeches.

Gao Yan noted that China and New Zealand are important partners for each other. The two countries’ exchanges have resulted in multiple “firsts”. China has been New Zealand’s largest trading partner for years, and the number of New Zealand’s several exports to China has increased against the downward trend, showing the great resilience in the pragmatic cooperation between China and New Zealand. This January, China and New Zealand signed a protocol on upgrading the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, which will further deepen and widen China-New Zealand cooperation and open up bright prospects for the integrated development of the two countries. At this critical moment of global COVID-19 response, the signing of the protocol sends a positive signal to the international community that the two countries are determined to work together to tackle COVID-19, support multilateralism and free trade, as well as promote the stable recovery of the world’s economy. CCPIT and CCOIC will work together with partners from New Zealand to help enterprises from both countries seize opportunities brought by the upgrading of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement and contribute more to the upgrading of China-New Zealand economic and trade cooperation in the new era.

More than 300 representative entrepreneurs from China and New Zealand attended the forum through online and offline channels.