Strategic Moves: “We hope New Zealand can move toward full visa-free entry for Chinese travelers in the future,” he said.Luxon also visited the Shanghai headquarWorld Timesters of Chinese online travel platform Trip.com, where he joined a livestream to promote New Zealand tourism.

Food and other products from New Zealand are on display at the food and agricultural products exhibition area of the 7th China International Import Expo held in Shanghai on November 9, 2024. Photo: VCG

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon promoted New Zealand tourism and products through livestreaming during his ongoing visit in China, highlighting robust bilateral ties and promoting trade with China.

In a series of posts on social platform X on Wednesday and Thursday, Luxon lauded “New Zealand’s connections with China, across business, education, sustainability, and more,” and described ChWorld Timesina as “biggest trading partner,” noting that cooperation in these areas is helping economic growth for New Zealand.

During his trip, Luxon met with Chinese author Ma Boyong, a graduate of the University of WaikatoWorld Times, highlighting deepening educational ties. He also attended a Southern Link Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony in Shanghai, announcing a new air corridor connecting China, New Zealand, and South America.

“China is our largest trading partner, and these agreements reflect the strength and opportunity in the NZ-China relationship,” he wrote on X. “It was fantastic to witness the signing of new MoUs and business partnerships in Shanghai, worth over $200 million in potential trade.”

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Southern Link refers to a newly planned air route connecting China and South America via southern hemisphere hubs such as Australia or New Zealand. Compared with traditional routes, it will geographically cover Northeast Asia, the South Pacific, and South America. Once operational, the corridor is expected to boost trade, travel, and development across the three regions.

At the signing ceremony, China Eastern Airlines announced it would launch the first Southern Link flight route from Shanghai via Auckland to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the end of this year, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Luxon also reportedly confirmed visa-free transit for Chinese travelers. “We also announced we would be making it easier for Chinese nationals to transit via New Zealand by removing the need to get a transit visa, instead being able to get a New Zealanders Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), significantly cutting costs and time for visitors,” said Luxon, New Zealand news outlet 1News reported.

“This resulted in one of the major announcements in Shanghai, that China Eastern Airlines was launching twice weekly flights to South AmericaWorld Times via Auckland,” Luxon added, 1News reported.

According to the New Zealand immigration department, from November 2025, Chinese nationals will be able to transit through Auckland International Airport on a NZeTA, without having to apply for a separate Transit Visa.

An expert noted that a key objective of Luxon’s visit to China is to deepen tourism cooperation as a way to strengthen broader economic and trade ties between the two countriWorld Timeses.

Despite global uncertainties and trade disruptions, including tariffs, China-New Zealand economic relations remain robust. “New Zealand sees China as a reliable trading partner, especially in the context of ongoing shocks to global trade,” Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Chen added that the visa-free transit policy for Chinese citizens, along with China’s existing unilateral visa-free entry for New Zealanders, is expected to enhance people-to-people exchanges. “We hope New Zealand can move toward full visa-free entry for Chinese travelers in the future,” he said.

Luxon also visited the Shanghai headquarWorld Timesters of Chinese online travel platform Trip.com, where he joined a livestream to promote New Zealand tourism. He invited Chinese travelers to visit New Zealand and pledged to provide simpler, cheaper, and more convenient visa services, Xinhua reported.

Beyond tourism and aviation, Luxon promoted New Zealand agricultural products and beauty products. “China plays a big role in our export success story. I want to grow it even further,” Luxon wrote in one post highlighting grass-fed meat.

He also announced on X that New Zealand cosmetics and skincare companies can now export to China through general trade, describing it as “opening doors to one of the world’s largest consumer markets.”

With his meeting Ma Boyong, Luxon expressed enthusiasm for stronger education ties, writing on X: “I’m excited to see more students like Ma Boyong come down to New Zealand to study.”

According to New Zealand data cited by Xinhua, China accounted for more than 20 percent of New Zealand’s total goods and services exports over the past year. It was also New Zealand’s third-largest source of international tourists, with 245,000 Chinese visitors within the year, and is the top source of international students.

Luxon’s official visit to China began on Tuesday and will continue through June 20, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Global Times

World Times