John Key's China business visit who's who

A who’s who of New Zealand business will accompany Prime Minister John Key on his seven-day trip to China later this week.

It will be one of the largest ever prime ministerial delegations to leave New Zealand and will visit the political and business powerhouses of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Businesses represented on the trip are a mix of major corporates such as Air New Zealand and Fonterra and smaller enterprises like New Zealand Manuka and Silvereye Communications.

New Zealand Manuka, chaired by education minister Hekia Parata's husband Sir Wira Gardiner, has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing Tong Ren Tang for the export of manuka honey to China and is in the process of signing up with another Chinese business.

The company hopes to build on this during the trip and says its success so far in penetrating the market has been through the company's ability to bring landowner, beekeeper and market together, as well as incorporating traditional knowledge of manuka's properties with modern technology and understanding of honey as a medicine.

Silvereye Communications represents a range of New Zealand companies and joint ventures that are seeking investment, trade and business opportunities between China and New Zealand.

Director Johanna Coughlan says the company assists businesses with "stakeholder engagement strategy, investment, communications and marketing with an export focus".

She says one such joint venture is Beijing Shougang LanzTech New Energy, which has built a pre-commercial plant at the Shougang steel mill to convert waste gases to fuel using technology developed by LanzaTech in New Zealand.

List of delegates

The full list of delegates going to China with Mr Key includes Air New Zealand, Alliance Group, ANZ Bank, ANZCO Foods, Auckland International Airport, Christchurch International Airport, Comvita, Fonterra, Fresher Foods, the Gibson Group, Healthcare Holdings, Weta Workshop, Soljans Wines, Synlait Milk, Zespri International, PwC, Business NZ, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, New Zealand Food & Grocery Council, Oritain Global, PF Olsen Group, Vitaco Health, Westland Milk Products, New Zealand Manuka and Silvereye Communications.

A number of universities and academic institutions will also be in attendance, along with various Maori business and cultural enterprises.

Government representatives include MFAT, NZTE, TPK, Tourism New Zealand, Education New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Among other things the trip will mark the fifth anniversary of the China New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, the only one China has signed with a developed country.

New Zealand exports to China have more than tripled since the signing of the FTA to $6.9 billion last year, up 16.6 per cent on the previous year.

Mr Key says despite the enormous progress that has been made, the government is looking to “delve even deeper” into the Chinese market.

“If you look at the sheer scale of development of China, we haven’t got anywhere near reaching the ceiling of our economic opportunities with them.”

The high-powered delegation will also mark the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, something that would have brought a smile to the face of former Labour politician Warren Freer, who died last week.

The former journalist, who was first elected to Parliament in 1947, played a significant role in getting New Zealand to formally recognise China in 1972.

“He could see the potential of China a long time before anybody else did,” former Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a tribute to him.

rvaughan@nbr.co.nz