NZINC. and the Auckland Business Chamber present the 12th China Business Summit, New Zealand’s premier platform for exploring the economic, commercial and political dimensions of the New Zealand-China relationship.

New Zealand exported almost NZ$20 billion in goods to China in the year to December 2025 – close to double the combined total of our next two largest goods markets. China has been our top export destination for more than a decade, and remains our largest source of imports at $18.5 billion, our third-largest source of international visitors, and a significant investor.

The 2026 Middle East crisis, particularly tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, has exposed the vulnerability of both China and New Zealand to oil supply disruptions, driving efforts towards greater energy independence and accelerating the uptake of green technologies.

China’s leadership in this space is increasingly visible in New Zealand: Chinese EVs are a growing presence in our new vehicle market, Chinese-manufactured panels underpin much of our solar build-out, and Chinese AI models are increasingly part of the business toolkit.

This is an environment where New Zealand’s key exporters – from agribusiness, tourism to services – face higher fuels costs and supply chain challenges to service key markets like China.

Yet the environment around the relationship has rarely been more contested. Washington’s tariff agenda has reshaped global trade flows, with measures on Chinese goods reaching extraordinary levels in 2025 before being walked back through successive truces.

Beijing prepares to host APEC in Shenzhen later this year, and the Luxon government continues to navigate closer alignment with traditional security partners alongside its commercial commitments to China. For a small, trade-dependent nation, engaging thoughtfully when geopolitics, security and the economic rulebook are all in motion at once, is the defining challenge.

In a year when the rules of the game are being rewritten in real time, this is an unmissable event for business and political leaders looking for clarity and a strategic edge.