New Zealand stands to benefit from openness

The stable development of China-New Zealand relations these years shows how countries can seek common development while shelving their differences.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's four-day visit to China starting on Tuesday has served to inject fresh vitality into the bilateral relationship keeping its development on the right course.

This is Luxon's first visit to China since taking office in November 2023, at the beginning of the second decade of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Following the meeting between him and President Xi Jinping on Nov 15 in Lima, Peru, Luxon's visit has provided a good chance for the two sides to transform the consensus the two sides reached in Lima into specific economic and trade cooperation projects and concrete actions to promote people-to-people exchanges.

That Luxon has not only met with senior officials but also representatives of the business community, cultural circle and other sectors from the two sides in Shanghai and Beijing indicates he is taking advantage of the visit to explore the rich opportunities the world's second-largest economy provides his country.

Leading a sizable business and commerce delegation, the former CEO of Air New Zealand, who is well aware of the importance of connectivity and cooperation and has visited China multiple times, is apparently intent on further expanding and deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

That the New Zealand government announced on Wednesday that starting from November this year, Chinese citizens will no longer need a transit visa when transiting through New Zealand airports, and only need to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, shows the country's goodwill to the Chinese side.

On the same day, Luxon, who was visiting Shanghai, also announced a new route from Shanghai to South America via Auckland. New Zealand stands to benefit from its openness to China.

China is New Zealand's largest trading partner and a major market for its agricultural and dairy products and the trade and economic ties between the two nations continue to expand, contributing to the prosperity of both economies. There still remains great potential for the two sides to unleash in the fields of green development and high-tech and the trade in services as highlighted by the upgrading of their free trade agreement in 2022, which underscored the two countries' shared commitment to fostering a dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership.

The benefits of that partnership are evident. Trade between the two countries reached 38.26 billion New Zealand dollars ($22.86 billion) in 2024. Explaining what had brought him to China while in Shanghai, Luxon called the country "a global economic powerhouse" where 20 percent of New Zealand's exports go to. And he declared, "There is room for so much more".

The two countries' pragmatic approach, mutual respect, and shared dedication to multilateralism and free trade highlight a successful collaboration at a time when the world faces increasing uncertainty and division. The partnership between China and New Zealand illustrates how these principles can bridge differences in history, culture and systems, fostering cooperation between countries with different backgrounds.

Like any relationship, the China-New Zealand partnership is not without its challenges. Geopolitical tensions and differing perspectives on certain issues have occasionally strained the bilateral ties between the two countries. But they have been able to navigate these difficulties thanks to open communication, mutual respect and a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue to find common ground.

It is expected that the major South Pacific economy can uphold its strategic autonomy in handling China-related issues, and fully realize the irrationality of being involved in geopolitical games targeting China.

With ties becoming strained between some countries because of unilateralism and protectionism, the two countries should strengthen their coordination on the world stage and steer clear of zero-sum games.