New Zealand Guangdong Products Expo kicks off in Auckland

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The first New Zealand-Guangdong Products Expo kicked off in Auckland on Sunday.

Among the items on display such as furniture, home appliances, carpets, massage chairs, stainless pots, traditional Chinese foods, clothes, Christmas decorations, electronic products, and construction products, consumers who attended the Expo found themselves indulging in high-quality products from Guangdong.

The Expo, the first large-scale event of its kind held by New Zealand Chinese businesses to promote bilateral trade between China and New Zealand and to serve local enterprises in New Zealand, showcased thousands of products from over 200 companies from New Zealand and Guangdong.

The two-day event hosted by the Canton Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand (CCCNZ) and the New Zealand China Trade Association (NZCTA) coincided with the pre-Christmas shopping period, during which the organizers estimated tens of thousands of local visitors will show up at the exhibition for a buying spree.

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said in a video speech that the Expo provided an excellent opportunity for New Zealand businesses to trade with China.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-New Zealand diplomatic ties, an important milestone for both sides. Over the past five decades, relations between China and New Zealand have stood the test of time and made substantial advances.

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has expanded from trade in goods to trade in services, investment, scientific and technological cooperation, digital economy, green economy and other fields, Wang said.

This year, the entry into force of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Upgrade Protocol further injected new momentum into the bilateral cooperation, Wang added.

Guangdong Province is a pioneer of China's reform and opening up, whose economic output has been ranking first for more than 30 years. Guangdong is now speeding up the development of pilot free trade zones and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and actively building world-class city clusters.

In recent years, ties between New Zealand and China's Guangdong have enjoyed steady development while practical cooperation has expanded, said Wang.

"I believe, with good foundations, the economic and trade cooperation between Guangdong and New Zealand have vast potential", said the Chinese ambassador.

Martin Thomson, chairman of the NZCTA, said at the opening ceremony that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China 50 years ago, the economic and trade exchanges between the two countries had grown rapidly.

Guangdong is New Zealand's main source of trade and investment, and Guangdong's manufacturing industry has contributed significantly to New Zealand's imports, he said.

Thomson added that the NZCTA is the longest and most prominent business association in New Zealand that has conducted economic, trade, and investment activities with China.

The NZCTA is supporting New Zealand Chinese business and hoping to tap into the potential of Chinese enterprises further to drive the development of New Zealand's local economy, said Thomson.

Stuart Macintosh, CEO of New Zealand's Pic's Peanut Butter company, shared with the guests his experience in developing the Chinese market based by enhancing footprint in China.

The opening ceremony coincided with the New Zealand promotion activities of the 2022 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Global Investment Conference.

The GBA promotional video was broadcast to the guests at the Expo, introducing the grand blueprint of the GBA to local enterprises in New Zealand.