Fran O'Sullivan: NZME business commentator on Chinese Premier Li Qiang visiting New Zealand for the first time in seven years

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has revealed Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit New Zealand later this week. 

This will be the first significant visit by one of the nation's largest trading partners in over seven years.

NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan explains what this visit means for the future of business optimism regarding New Zealand. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the Chinese premier is going to visit New Zealand.
It's the first time since twenty seventeen. We spoke to
Trade Minister Tod McLay about it earlier and right now.
En Zigny's business commentator Franoe Sullivan's with that's hello, fran
good evening. How significant do you think this is?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, it's very significant us for the very reason you
said there hasn't been a visit for a very long time.
More particularly, I mean really really that he's coming here
because he's also going to Australia and essentially they've warmed
that relationship up a bit now and the coercive behavior
that China was exhibiting towards Australia has pretty much stopped

(00:35):
and normal trade has resumed. And that's been something which
has happened under alban Easy. We haven't had anything like
that in our own relationship with China. We've been quite careful,
we do. Over the last few years we've taken a
much more robust approach and talked more openly about the

(00:56):
things that concern New Zealand res of China's behavior, for
instance in the South China Sea, and more recently you know,
issues around orcus where essentially the government and is sort
of has taken the view that it will make its
own mind what does in New Zealand security interests and

(01:17):
so it's much more plain speaking now and it's taken
China a while to get used to that, and you
know it's going to be interesting. I'm picking it will
be a pretty constructive visit though. I mean, you know,
they'll have.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
One of the things round that we need more than
anything right now is investment in this country. Right Is
there a direct line between somebody like him turning up
and businesses in China seeing yep, it's a stable relationship
and therefore investing in us.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, I think that that is very much part of it,
and there will be business optimism as a result of this.
It's not so much China investing in here. It's more
China buying our goods. That's the big thing. We do
actually haveinancial Chinese investment in New Zealand, and a lot
of the Chinese investment is sort of staying home at

(02:06):
the moment because things have been pretty pinched there and
people have got overstretched with some of the large companies.
So you know, that sort of hauled back of it.
And one of the things China does want it is
much more streamline investment. It will want to know, for instance,
you know how the government would apply a security lens
to any application by a major China company to perhaps

(02:28):
come and here be enrolled with energy or whatever, something
which could significantly have a major impact in New Zealand.
So these are the things that behind scenes we talked about.
But we do expect the comprehensive strategic partnership will be
upgraded than the movements on services trade trying to wants

(02:48):
faster visa entry. I mean it's painfully slow and it's
actually hindering tourism and New Zealand as well. So there's
a range of things. But after very very long time,
and also after having had the COVID period as well,
it's good to get this going too.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Right.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
There's a lot of tension out there as no in
the Pacific, and we're part of that as well. Yeah,
I think, you know, hopefully the spy is a few
more years, a lot of peace.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, dialogue is better than no dialogue. Hey friend, Thank
you very much as always, friend of Sullivan in Zimy's
Business Commentators for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
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