Building on Past Achievements, Taking China-New Zealand Friendship to a New Level
继往开来，推动中新友好迈上新台阶
Consul General He Ying Published an Article in The Star
何颖总领事在新西兰《星报》上发表署名文章
15 August 2022
2022年8月15日
Kia Ora. My name is He Ying, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Christchurch. It’s been 4 months since I came to the South Island. Besides Christchurch, I have also visited some other cities and districts including Selwyn, Hurunui, Marlborough, Nelson, Dunedin, and Queenstown. I’m deeply impressed and happy to see the fruits of China-New Zealand cooperation wherever I go. Now, the South Island has 16 pairs of sister city relations with various provinces and cities in China, which provide efficient platforms to carry out our practical cooperation. The local governments I visited, enterprises and businessmen I talked with, are attaching great importance to the cooperation with China. In particular, Christchurch city council has formulated its international strategy, taking Guangdong Province of China as one of the priorities for its international cooperation. I met people from dairy, meat processing, construction, education and tourism sectors, as well as members of the Chinese communities, all of whom are participants, contributors and beneficiaries of our bilateral practical cooperation. The passion and commitment of the South Island community to China-New Zealand friendship and cooperation has made me deeply aware that this relationship has brought tangible benefits to both people, thus filled me with a sense of responsibility for my work as the Consul General.
大家好！我是中国驻克赖斯特彻奇总领事何颖。来南岛已经4个月了。除了克赖斯特彻奇，我还走访了其他一些城市和地区，包括塞尔温、胡鲁努伊、马尔堡、纳尔逊、达尼丁和皇后镇等。所到之处，看到中新友好合作的成果已遍及南岛各行各业，让我印象深刻而美好。目前南岛与中国各地拥有16对姐妹城市，成为推动双边务实合作的重要平台。我访问过的许多地方政府、企业和商界人士，他们都高度重视与中国的合作，特别是克市还专门出台城市发展战略，把中国广东省作为其国际合作的优先方向之一。我会见了不少当地乳制品、肉类加工、建筑、教育、旅游界人士和在新西兰工作生活多年的侨界人士，他们都是中新友好务实合作的参与者、贡献者和受益者。南岛各界对中新友好合作的热情和投入让我深深认识到，中新友好合作关系的深化与发展的确为两国和两国人民带来了实实在在的利益，让我对任内工作充满责任感和使命感。
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand. Over the past 50 years, China-New Zealand relations have weathered international changes and become a successful example of win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, histories, cultures, and development stages. Cooperation between our two countries has reaped fruitful outcomes, especially in economic and trade fields. The signing of the FTA in 2008 has boosted bilateral trade in goods from NZ$9 billion to NZ$35.5 billion by 2021. This hard-won result is achieved through the relentless efforts of both sides and thus deserves to be cherished and maintained by both sides. Currently, China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner, export market and source of trade surplus. Our economies are complementary. New Zealand products can meet China’s growing demand for high-quality products, while the Chinese market makes positive contribution to New Zealand’s economic development, income growth and job creation. Meanwhile, “made in China” products like home appliances, inexpensive and of good-quality, provide more choices for New Zealand’s consumers and are welcomed by the Kiwis as well. Our two countries and peoples have achieved mutual benefit and win-win results.
今年是中国与新西兰建交50周年。建交半个世纪以来，中新关系历经国际风云变幻，成为不同社会制度、历史文化、发展阶段国家合作共赢的成功范例。在两国关系中，经贸合作尤其成果丰硕。2008年中新签署FTA，推动双边货物贸易额从90亿新元增长到2021年的355亿新元。目前，中国是新西兰最大的贸易伙伴、出口市场和贸易顺差来源国。两国经济互补性强，新西兰产品满足了中国人民对优质产品日益增长的消费需求，中国市场为新西兰经济发展、收入增长和扩大就业作出积极贡献。同时，家用电器等“中国制造”产品物美价廉，为新西兰消费者提供了更多选择，受到新西兰人民的广泛欢迎。两国和两国人民实现了互利共赢。这一成果来之不易，值得我们共同珍惜、维护。
China now has a population of more than 1.4 billion, a large labor force of more than 900 million, a per capita GDP of more than $12,000, a middle-income group of more than 400 million, and imports goods and services worth about $2.5 trillion every year. It’s a market with unlimited potential. New Zealand’s national brand as a clean, green, open, friendly country and its high-quality products are very popular in Chinese market. As New Zealand’s biggest trade partner, China accounts for about 30% of New Zealand’s foreign exports of goods and services. In 2021, China accounts for 42% of total exports of New Zealand’s dairy products, 42% of total exports of meat and 65% of total exports of wood products. There is also a growing demand in China for New Zealand’s wine, honey, fruits, seafood, etc., all of which are mainly produced in the South Island. In April this year, the Upgrade Protocol of China-New Zealand FTA came into force, giving new momentum to deepen our bilateral practical cooperation.
今天的中国，有14亿多人口、9亿多劳动力，人均GDP超1.2万美元，中等收入群体规模超4亿，每年进口的商品和服务价值约为2.5万亿美元，市场潜力巨大。新西兰绿色、清洁、开放、友好的形象和高品质产品在中国深入人心。今年4月，中新自贸协定升级议定书正式生效，为中新双方深化经贸合作注入了新动力。中国作为新最大贸易伙伴，约占新对外货物和服务出口的30%。2021年中国占新乳制品、肉类和木制品对外出口总额的比重分别为42%、42%和65%。中国市场对新西兰优质的葡萄酒、蜂蜜、水果、海产品等的需求量也在不断增加，而这些产品主产地都在南岛。
New Zealand enjoys a good reputation among Chinese tourists for its natural scenery. Before the pandemic, most of the nearly 400,000 Chinese tourists who visited New Zealand came to the South Island. Close to 4000 Chinese students studied in the South Island, in Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Nelson and other places. Many of them were attracted by New Zealand’s multicultural society and chose to stay here and live a happy life. Chinese companies actively participate in the South Island’s urban construction and economic development. Wherever I go in the South Island, I can feel the enthusiasm of local people in developing China-New Zealand relations and their appreciation for Chinese companies, Chinese students and local Chinese communities. This makes me deeply moved and proud. On Aug.1, New Zealand reopened its borders. Like many New Zealanders, I also look forward to welcoming Chinese students, tourists and entrepreneurs back to New Zealand for sightseeing, study, investment and business.
南岛的自然风光在中国游客中也享有良好口碑，疫情前每年有将近40万中国游客来南岛观光旅游。中国在南岛的留学生近4000人，遍布克赖斯特彻奇、达尼丁、因弗卡吉尔、纳尔逊等各地，其中不少人被新西兰的多元文化所吸引，选择留下来经营自己的美好生活。还有中国企业，他们积极投身南岛城市建设和经济发展。无论走到哪里，我都能听到和感受到当地新西兰朋友对发展新中关系的热情和投入，和对中国企业、留学生和华人华侨的赞誉，这让我深为感动和骄傲。今年8月1日，新西兰重新开放边境。我也同新西兰朋友一样，欢迎中国学生、游客、企业家来此观光学习、投资经商兴业。
This year also marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Rewi Alley. Rewi was a great hero of Canterbury and one of the most respected international friends of the Chinese people. He came to China in 1927 and lived in China for 60 years, dedicating his life to China’s development and the friendship between our two countries. When visiting Rewi Alley memorial park and relevant commemoration facilities in Selwyn and Hurunui, I was deeply touched by his internationalism of loving peace and pursuing justice, his “Gung Ho spirit” of arduous struggle and “work hard, work together”, his educational philosophy of “hand and mind, create and analyse”, as well as his boundless love and selfless dedication to the Chinese people. This year, our Consulate General plans to hold a series of events to celebrate and commemorate the 50th anniversary of China-New Zealand diplomatic relations and the 125th anniversary of Rewi Alley’s birth. We welcome our Kiwi friends’ active participation.
今年还是路易·艾黎诞辰125周年。艾黎是坎特伯雷的伟大英雄，是最受中国人民尊敬的国际友人之一。他1927年来到中国，在中国工作生活了60年，把毕生献给了中国人民的国家建设事业和中新友谊。参观位于塞尔温区的艾黎纪念公园和胡鲁努伊艾黎纪念设施，我深深感动于他热爱和平、追求正义的国际主义精神，艰苦奋斗、“努力干，一起干”的工合精神，“手脑并用，创造分析”的教育实践精神，以及他心系人民、无私奉献的博爱精神。今年总领馆将专门举办活动，隆重庆祝和纪念中新建交50周年和路易艾黎诞辰125周年，欢迎各界朋友莅临出席。
Our Consulate General will make full use of our resources and do our best to promote friendly relations and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. China has made new adjustments to the measures on Covid-19 prevention and control. Many cities in China have shortened their entry quarantine time. The Chinese embassies and consulates abroad including our consulate general, have already started to accept visa applications to China. As before the pandemic, if you want to apply for business or visit visa, you only need to provide an invitation letter from a partner in China. We welcome more Kiwi friends to China with open arms.
各位朋友，中国已经对新冠肺炎疫情防控措施作出新的调整，中国许多城市也已缩短了入境隔离时间。包括总领馆在内的中国驻外使领馆已开始受理来华签证申请，与疫情前一样，如果您想申请商务或访问签证，只需提供中国合作伙伴的邀请函即可。总领馆将继续发挥资源优势，全力推动两国友好关系和人文交流，欢迎更多新西兰朋友到中国来。