New Zealand China Council

We look forward to seeing Wellington-based colleagues and friends of the Council at this Diplosphere event on 31 October with our executive director Alistair Crozier and council members Fran O'Sullivan and Sirma Karapeeva (amongst others!)

China’s evolving demographics and consumer behaviours are reshaping the demand for animal protein accoring to a recent report from Rabobank. Here’s what’s driving the shift: 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀: China has an aging population and a falling birthrate. The change in demographics is shifting demand for protein types and cooking priorities: 👵 Elderly consumers are seeking easy-to-digest protein options like poultry (rather than the traditional pork). 👫 For working households, having fewer (or no) children is shifting the cooking priorities toward convenience and value rather than the often cited 'safety and health.' 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘁𝘆: 🍣 Though consumers are value-conscious, they’re still willing to spend on food that brings value through convenience (think pre-sliced cuts or pre-packaged meals), experience, or added health. 🥘 Consumers are more open to novel ways of cooking and seek a wider variety of flavours. This goes for social and ecommerce-savvy aging populations too. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀: There’s a pivot towards premium cuts and ready-meals as suppliers respond to evolving consumer demands. 🚛 The market is consolidating, leading to more vertically integrated supply chains. 🔬 Being closer to the consumer allows brands to be more reactive to trends and have faster NPD. 📹 Companies who shied away from live streaming are now leveraging the opportunity to educate consumers on a new cooking method while driving sales. 🇳🇿 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗭 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀: New Zealand, positioned at the commodity end of the protein market, needs to consider how to appeal to these trends and who is capturing the most value in supply chains. Looking forward to testing these insights on the ground next week with the New Zealand China Council. Thanks to Ashlin Chand for sharing the report. Photo by Frank Zhang on Unsplash.

Congratulations to Ministry for Ethnic Communities on the inaugural Ethnic Xchange Symposium! Our Council is proud to be part of this journey. As part of our focus on the NZ-China relationship we recognise the valuable role that ethnic businesses can play to strengthen links and build understanding with New Zealand’s major trade partners. #EthnicXchange24 #NZLeadsWithDiversity #InclusiveGrowth #EmpoweringEthnicBusinesses #BoostingInnovationAndTrade #nzcc #NZChinarelationship #trade Alistair Crozier Summer Xia

Congratulations to The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono on 30 years of helping New Zealanders to better understand and connect with Asia. This week’s 2024 Asia Summit underlined why New Zealand has to keep deepening engagement with the region, its opportunities and its challenges. Unsurprisingly, China came up in almost every panel. We acknowledge the Foundation’s active but ultimately unsuccessful work to invite a Chinese panellist to New Zealand to join the discussions - and congratulate the insightful participants from Southeast Asia, India, Australia, Europe, the US and of course New Zealand. New Zealand China Council Chair John McKinnon, Executive Director Alistair Crozier and Council members Danny Chan , Fran O'Sullivan , Bede Corry and Paul Te Poa Karoro Morgan CNZM, QSO, CFInstD were all in the room to support and contribute. And of course our founding Chair Sir Don McKinnon, who with Hon. Phillip Burdon also instigated the Foundation. The next 30 years have begun! We look forward to working with you. #Asia #engagement Alistair Crozier Summer Xia

The New Zealand China Council Te Kaunihera O Aotearoa me Haina welcomes incoming National President of the New Zealand Chinese Association (NZCA) Paul Chin as an ex officio member. Paul was elected as National President in July 2024, succeeding Jenny Too who resigned from the Council when she completed her own three-year term leading NZCA. In addition to his national role, Paul serves as President of the Waikato Chinese Association and is a former trustee and chair of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust. Welcoming Paul to the New Zealand China Council, Chair John McKinnon acknowledged the importance of the New Zealand Chinese Association’s involvement in our work. He also thanked Jenny Too for her service to the Council. Learn more from our website.  https://lnkd.in/gEVAJitd #newmember #nzcc #annoucement #welcome #nzca Alistair Crozier

This year’s Double Ninth Festival in China falls on Friday, October 11. Also known as Chōng Yáng (重阳), the festival, celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, has been designated Seniors Day since 1989 by the Chinese government to emphasize care and respect for the elderly. Against the backdrop of China’s ageing population and recent demographic shifts, we also discuss China’s new retirement age policy announced in September 2024. Learn more in our video explainer. https://lnkd.in/gaf2QGBs #festival #doubleninth #chongyang #chineseculture #traditions #ageing #population #demographic #retirement #policy #update #china #video Alistair Crozier Summer Xia

Join NZCTA’s upcoming webinar next Monday, 14 October, at 3pm NZT, with Ambassador Grahame Morton and other key New Zealand government representatives based in Beijing, for an overview of New Zealand's current focus areas in China. This session will cover insights into China’s evolving business environment and New Zealand's trade activities there. A valuable opportunity to stay informed on this important trade relationship. #webinar #rsvp #Ambassador #NZInc #insights #China #NZCTA #economy #business #trade #nzchina Alistair Crozier

Trump 2.0 vs Harris 1.0… How could the outcome of the United States election impact on the US relationship with China, and the wider world? And how should New Zealand prepare?  Join this Diplosphere event in Wellington on 31 October featuring two of our New Zealand China Council members Fran O'Sullivan and Sirma Karapeeva, and our Executive Director Alistair Crozier.   Register today and be part of the discussion!  #event #wellington #discussion #USelection #USChina #NewZealand #internationalrelations #insights

Last week New Zealand China Council partnered with the NZ International Business Forum (TradeWorks NZ) to co-host a seminar on the Southern Link – a big thank you to our Council member ANZ Bank for providing the venue.    The Southern Link is a proposal that instead of being the ‘last station at the end of the line’, New Zealand could be a logistics hub for goods and people linking Asia with Latin America.  Our travel times are similar to, or beat, any other route between these regions.    It makes sense to shore up New Zealand’s air and sea connectivity and become an  indispensable link for freight companies servicing both Asia and Latin America routes at a time when:  - Our government has a goal to double exports by value in 10 years  - This can be achieved by diversifying across multiple markets in Asia and Latin America  - Our own exporters and importers want more choice, to keep air and sea freight prices low  - We want to strengthen supply chain resilience and guard against future shocks  - Transport companies, consumers and governments are pursuing greener options through shorter routes    Our seminar returned to these issues, which were being actively discussed before Covid interrupted regional connectivity for several years.  Participants representing airlines and airports, freight forwarders and cargo owners, diplomats, government officials and research institutes from Asia, New Zealand and Latin America gathered to re-explore the viability of hubbing through New Zealand.  As always, challenges were identified - the real question is whether New Zealand as a small, innovative trading nation has the energy and creativity to pursue the opportunity.    We will be submitting key outcomes of the seminar to government ministers and officials in the coming weeks, and look forward to a continuation of an active dialogue on creating the Southern Link.  We thank all attendees who participated in the seminar, and especially to Stephen Jacobi for co-hosting with us. #southernlink #hub #connectivity #asia #latinamerica #newzealand #supplychain #business #trade #markets #logisytics #export #seminar #workshop #opportunity #internationaltrade Alistair Crozier

Great minds think alike. We are not the only one celebrate the linguistic and culture connections of te Reo Māori and Chinese Languages during these back-to-back special weeks: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and the New Zealand Chinese Language Week. This special waiata “Rona”, shared by the New Zealand Consulate-General in Shanghai during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, beautifully blends Te Reo Māori and Mandarin, showcasing the connection between these two cultures. Check out the performance from Shanghai. Ardi Barnard 鲍晓笛 Erina Okeroa 艾乐 Wilson Chau Cortana (Xueting) Yang He rite tonu ngā whakaaro o ngā rangatira. Ehara ko mātou anake e whakanui ana i ngā hononga i ngā reo o konei, waihoki, Haina i roto i hēnei wiki hirahira: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori me Te Wiki o Te Reo Haina. Ka āpiti tēnei waiata a "Rona" I ngā reo e rua, Te Reo Māori me Haina kia ngātahi te rere. I tukuna e te New Zealand Consulate-General ki Shanghai i Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, he mea ātaahua, e whakaatu atu nei i te hirahira o ā tātou nei ahurea. #TeWikioteReoMāori #kiakaha #akeakeake #NZCLW #billingual #waiata #NZinShanghai #celebration #mandarin #languages #connection #culture Alistair Crozier Summer Xia