Wellington, Beijing mark five decades of fruitful relations

Clare Fearnley, New Zealand's ambassador to China, said New Zealand is focusing on the theme "people, planet and prosperity" as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

Alongside high-level bilateral meetings, remembrance of New Zealand educator and writer Rewi Alley and celebrations of sister cities are part of the 50th-anniversary program of celebratory events, Fearnley said during her visit to Guangdong province from Aug 15 to 17.

Alley, an old friend of the Chinese people, first came to China from New Zealand in 1927 and spent six decades in China.

After visiting Alley's old home in Shanghai, where he lived between 1927 and 1938, Fearnley was to travel to Hubei province, where Alley helped with flood-relief work in 1932, and to Gansu province, to which the Bailie Polytechnic School jointly founded by Alley was moved in 1944.

New Zealand's tourism and education sectors are preparing for the return of Chinese tourists and students after the country reopened its borders at the beginning of this month following the disruption to international travel by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fearnley is especially keen on bilateral cooperation on environmental issues, including climate change, and took great interest in an inaugural vice-ministerial meeting on migratory birds that was held virtually last month. New research into the protection of migratory birds flying between the two countries has been launched, including monitoring of the health of the species and their environments.

New Zealand's embassy in China is also running an exhibition of historical photos to mark the 50th anniversary of relations－both online and offline. After the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, the first ministerial delegation from New Zealand visited China in 1973.

"I looked back at some of the history of that visit, and what they identified as their objectives in 1973 are very much still relevant today. Trade was important, but they had a strong focus on people-to-people connections. And also on research, science and cultural connections," Fearnley said. "We've had some challenges in more recent times because of disruption from COVID, but we've managed to keep the people-to-people contact going through virtual means."

One of the new areas the two sides have worked on is cooperation in climate change, a field that has been growing steadily, she said.

The upgraded bilateral free trade agreement that went into effect in April will benefit businesses and consumers in both countries, she said. China currently is New Zealand's largest trading partner, and Guangdong province accounts for a significant part of the trade between the two countries.

Fearnley first came to China in 1985 to teach in Shaanxi province and has since visited the country as a student, tourist, official and diplomat. She has been impressed by the broader economic choices that Chinese people now have, the growth of the middle-income group, the infrastructure of the cities and the commitment to greening the environment.

"The world will benefit from 1.4 billion people balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability－that's got a global significance," she said.

Responding to a question about the future of the relationship, Fearnley said: "I see the two countries being an ongoing part of each other's future. New Zealand continues to put a lot of energy into its engagement with China. I look forward in the future to our two countries continuing to have a robust, mature relationship in which we have multiple strands of connection that help us understand each other, help us work together constructively and help us find areas of mutual benefit where we can agree to work together."

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn