Chairperson’s Report 2011                    

 

 

2011 is another successful year since the inauguration of China-New Zealand Business Council five years ago. The Council continued to conduct its business of bridging commercial enterprises from China and New Zealand, by providing support to small-to-medium enterprises, and promoting education and cultural exchanges.

 

The year saw an encouraging number of new members representing political, legal, educational and commercial backgrounds, bringing with them the refreshing energy and enthusiasm needed for the steady growth of the Council.

 

I would like to express my gratitude to members who have been with the Council for many years, for you have remained committed to its vision and contributed time and effort to ensure the smooth operations were possible. You are the strength of the Council, and your hard work and dedication are most appreciated.

 

True to its principles of helping businesses from China and New Zealand and the experience it has gained over the years, the Council is in a strong position to contribute to the implementation of the free trade agreement between the two countries, by informing members of the latest news and developments, and identifying business opportunities on members’ behalf. Because of its close relationship with government departments of the two countries and local governments in China’s second-tiered cities, the Council is able to seek support and information when required from the appropriate government bodies. The Council was represented in many international conferences, notably the overseas Chinese conference, and has established positive media liaison.

 

In the past year, the Council established an office in Wuhan which, in a short time, has made significant progress, shaping up to be the model for opening similar offices in other parts of China. The Wuhan office representative, Catherine Yang, has established contacts with many businesses and departments in the Hubei Province and Wuhan City, and attended two major conferences.

 

I represented the Council at a ceremony in May which was attended by many overseas Chinese, and a business conference in June attended by 958 people. The delegations came from 35 countries. The conference’s theme was on overseas investments, with focus on bio-medicine, cars and parts, environmental issues, and renewable energy.

 

After the Conference, I had the opportunity to visit a number of second-tiered cities in the Hubei Province. A project of interest of which I had the privilege to be party to the discussion was the sister-city relation between the city of Hong Hu and Christchurch, which I would like the Council to explore further.

 

On behalf of the Council, I signed a memorandum of understanding with Hubei Province Business Council.

 

Among other significant achievements, the Wuhan office facilitated the relationship between New Zealand School of Acupuncture and Hubei University of Chinese Medicine. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in February, the President of Hubei University visited New Zealand to further strength the relationships between the two education institutions.

 

This year marks the 100^th year of the birth of revolution movement in China. As a descendent of the revolution heroes, I was invited as a special guest to a special celebration.

 

I also attended the Chinese herbal medicine conference in the Sichuan Province. From the contacts I made, opportunities have arisen to foster cultural exchange with a consortium of education institutions in Chengdu City, and a few other exciting propositions that are worth exploring.

 

Other activities worth mentioning include

 

·               a special function to welcome the arrival of the new Chinese Ambassador and to celebrate the new Wellington Mayor taking office in November last year

·               meeting with the Minister of Immigration to discuss changes to the immigration law

·               participating in the filming of a commercial by Gimson Group from China to promote its healthcare products

·               participating in meetings on issues relating to FTA between China and New Zealand.

 

Looking ahead, 2012 will be another busy year for the Council. The main projects in the pipeline are the celebration dinner to mark the 40 years of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, and a business delegation to China.

 

 

Thank you to you all.

 

 

Linda Zhang

 

Chairperson

China and New Zealand Business Council