On March 24, New Zealand's newly appointed Ambassador to China, Jonathan Austin, visited Guangzhou. After arriving in China on March 4, he chose Guangzhou as his first stop outside Beijing since his assumption of office in China.
During the visit, both sides exchanged views on further strengthening economic and trade ties, as well as expanding cooperation in areas such as sister city ties, cultural tourism, science and technology education, and biomedicine.
Guangzhou holds special significance for New Zealand
Why Guangzhou? "Because Guangzhou holds special significance for New Zealand," Ambassador Jonathan Austin explained.
"Today, nearly one in every 20 New Zealanders is of Chinese descent, with many tracing their roots back to Guangdong Province," said Ambassador Jonathan Austin. "Therefore, visiting the ancestral homeland of many Chinese New Zealanders as my first destination was particularly meaningful."
Ambassador Jonathan Austin highlighted Guangdong's crucial role in New Zealand-China trade, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the bilateral trade volume. So far, Guangdong Province has become the largest source of imports and the third-largest export province for New Zealand in China.
Another key reason for Ambassador Jonathan Austin's visit to Guangzhou is the sister city relationship between Auckland and Guangzhou. The two cities officially established their friendship-city ties in February 1989, which has since led to fruitful exchanges and cooperation.
Guangzhou's transformation reflects the success story of the GBA and China's economic prosperity
"The image of Guangzhou I remember from around 1980 stands in stark contrast to what I see today. This transformation reflects the story of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and China's economic prosperity," remarked Ambassador Austin.
Guangzhou also reflects the broader engagement between New Zealand and China. In recent years, there have been frequent high-level visits, growing trade exchanges, and deepening people-to-people ties, with accelerating cooperation in fields such as biomedicine. At the New Zealand-China Business Partnerships Ceremony held in Guangzhou last November, eight New Zealand companies signed partnership agreements with their Chinese counterparts.
Looking forward to continued mutual engagement and shared progress
Ambassador Jonathan Austin emphasized that cultural, intellectual, and talent exchanges are key to strengthening bilateral relations. He mentioned the exhibition by Guangzhou sculptor Xu Hongfei in Auckland from January to February this year, which he personally attended. At the same time, New Zealand's Weta Workshop contributed to the creation of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology and Creativity Museum in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
"With the visa-free policy now in place for New Zealanders traveling to China, we are excited to welcome more Chinese visitors to New Zealand as well. However, much work remains to be done to make this a reality," Ambassador Jonathan Austin stated.
Concluding his visit to Guangzhou, the Ambassador wrote in the guestbook: "New Zealand and Guangzhou have a long history of friendship and cooperation. We look forward to continuing this positive partnership."
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