People's Government of Sichuan Province

From April 17 to 18, Huang Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, led the province's delegation on a visit to New Zealand. The visit aimed to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and New Zealand, act on the plans for opening up and development set by the provincial Party committee and government, focus on promoting new Sichuan, exploring new trade avenues, and broadening new market horizons, and further elevate the economic collaboration and friendly exchanges between Sichuan and New Zealand to a higher level.

On the afternoon of April 17, the delegation reached New Zealand by Sichuan Airlines' first flight since the reinstatement of the Chengdu-Auckland route. A concise yet fervent recommencement ceremony was conducted at Auckland International Airport. Huang Qiang, Rachel Maidment, the director of the Auckland office of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Wang Xiaolong, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, each delivered remarks at the ceremony. Huang Qiang said that the Chengdu-Auckland route, suspended for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has now resumed operations, reconstructing the "airborne golden bridge" that links the two regions across vast distances, and this development will facilitate easier exchanges of personnel and more convenient cooperation in areas like culture and education, enable the people of both regions to more readily access each other's premium products, deepen and broaden collaborations in industrial, sci-tech and other sectors, herald a new era of flourishing people-to-people exchanges, new horizons for economic and trade partnership, and novel prospects for shared development between Sichuan and New Zealand.

Huang Qiang meets with Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown.

Over two days, Huang Qiang held meetings with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, and Chinese Consul General in Auckland Chen Shijie. They exchanged views on topics including enhancing the further expansion of trade relations between Sichuan and New Zealand, the possibility of establishing cargo flight routes, and the potential for developing sister-province and sister-city relations. Huang Qiang also met with Sir Richard Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of Weta Workshop, and with the heads of relevant departments, business associations, and key enterprises of New Zealand, including the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand China Council, the Employer’s &Manufacturers’ Association, Zespri Kiwifruit, and Fonterra Group.

On the morning of April 18, the China (Sichuan) - New Zealand Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Conference was held in Auckland, the City of Sails. Huang Qiang remarked in his speech that the friendship between Sichuan and New Zealand is growing steadily and continues to thrive, much like the kiwi fruit seed, which establishes roots and yields fruit in the rich soil of both regions. Sichuan is ready to engage in practical cooperation with New Zealand across broader domains at a more profound level, jointly propel the friendship and collaboration forward, unfurling new strong sails, and promote mutually beneficial development for both regions to yield a flourishing and fruitful outcome. New Zealand's agriculture and animal husbandry are well developed, and Sichuan is a large consumer market. We expect to work together to significantly enhance our economic and trade exchanges. We welcome New Zealand's high-quality products entering Sichuan and look forward to seeing more of Sichuan's distinctive products, such as its famous tea and wine, in New Zealand homes. New Zealand excels in science and education and possesses abundant resources, while Sichuan is a prime investment destination in China. We expect to join hands to vigorously accelerate industrial cooperation, focusing on areas with significant cooperative potential, such as modern agriculture and livestock farming, food processing, and the high-tech sector, expanding two-way investment, and collectively enlarging the industrial "pie." New Zealand boasts breathtaking landscapes that change like a painting with the seasons. Sichuan, with its majestic mountains and rivers, is a natural marvel. We expect to deepen and expand our cultural and tourism cooperation, leveraging direct flight routes to encourage two-way tours and enhancing friendly exchanges. We sincerely invite everyone to Sichuan for tourism and investment, to achieve mutually beneficial development. Before the conference, Huang Qiang and important guests from New Zealand jointly visited the photo exhibition on Sichuan provincial conditions. During the conference, eight cooperation agreements were signed between the two sides, covering areas such as economy, trade, education, and science and technology.

Wang Xiaolong, Chen Shijie, and others participated in related activities.