Hon. Minister O’Connor,

Mr. Martin Thomson, Chair of NZCTA

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tēnā koutou katoa.

It gives me great pleasure to join you at the 2021 HSBC NZCTA China Business Awards virtual ceremony. 

Let me first congratulate all the finalists and winners of China Business Awards. Your achievements are a showcase of closer and stronger economic ties between China and New Zealand. I would also acknowledge the hard work and efforts made by NZCTA. Thank you indeed for your role over the years in bridging and promoting bilateral economic engagement and cooperation. 

 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. In the span of half a century, China-New Zealand relations have made great strides and have always been at the forefront of China’s relations with developed countries. Guided by the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, both sides have jointly created many "firsts" in various fields. Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has grown exponentially, even against the backdrop of Covid-19, bringing tangible benefits to both sides. Such achievements cannot be gained without the valuable support and unremitting efforts of business communities of both countries.

As many of you may be aware, it so happens that NZ-China FTA upgrade comes into effect today, which will undoubtedly inject new impetus into our bilateral trade and also more importantly, the broader relationship between our two countries. I would encourage friends in business community to grasp the new opportunities and to explore new areas and ways for cooperation, such as environmental protection, clean energy, digital economy, food safety, to support the high-quality, sustainable development of our respective economies and bring better lives to our peoples.

This has already been happening. There is, however, potential and room for further growth. On the part of China, we stand ready to work closely with our New Zealand partners both at the governmental level and from the business communities to seize the opportunities and unleash the potential of our cooperation, giving ever more substance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two countries, which has acquired even greater importance in today’s world of greater risks and uncertainties, as we pursue a more prosperous shared future.

Thank you and all the best.