China signed a free trade agreement(FTA)with New Zealand in April 2008, which came into effect in October of that year. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019 and signed a protocol in January 2021. The latest protocol on upgrading the FTA took effect in April 2024, aiming to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment.
John Key, former prime minister of New Zealand, recently visited China. He said New Zealand was the first Western country to recognize China as a market economy as well as the first developed country to negotiate and sign a free trade agreement with China. In terms of the FTA upgrade, Key said a growing number of entrepreneurs from New Zealand are confident in investing in the Chinese market.
During his tenure, Key met with Chinese officials and visited China many times, strengthening the China-New Zealand friendship. Currently, as the chairman of the Investments Committee at Stonewood Key China, he continues to promote trade cooperation between the two countries in the field of new and sustainable energy.
