At the invitation of Asia New Zealand Foundation and Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), the CAFIU delegation headed by Mr. Qi Xuchun, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee of Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang and Vice-President of CAFIU visited New Zealand and Australia from Sept. 6 to 13. CAFIU Vice-President Ai Ping and Secretary-General Ni Jian were in the delegation.
 
In recent years, New Zealand and Australia have maintained good relations with China. In November 2014, President Xi Jinping paid successful visits to the two countries and upgraded the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries’ Prime Ministers respectively visited China this year. High level exchanges between China and the two countries are frequent. Political mutual trusts are continuously deepening. The implementation of China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has effectively promoted the bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Currently, China has become the largest trade partner and the largest source country of overseas students of the two countries. Therefore, wherever the delegation visited, we could feel that both central and local governments, both governments and nongovernmental sectors attached great importance to China’s development and are willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China so as to realize the steady growth of their own economy.

 

In New Zealand, Qi Xuchun met with Speaker Mr. David Carter. Mr. Carter said that he would lead a parliament delegation together with a trade delegation to visit China in the end of October, which will be the first contact between Chinese and New Zealand Parliaments in 10 years. He hoped to enhance cooperation between the two countries’ parliaments and local governments in the areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism and education. In Australia, Speaker of the Senate Mr. Stephen Parry and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Tony Smith met with the delegation at the same time. They expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China, especially to promote cooperation between their own electorates and China’s local governments. The leaders of the local governments of New Zealand and Australia also attached great importance to the exchanges and cooperation with China. Mme. Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch of New Zealand put off her visit to the Republic of Korea to meet with the delegation. Mme. Jackie Trad, Deputy Premier of Queensland of Australia met with the delegation at the hotel although it was weekend. They briefed the achievements of exchanges and cooperation with Chinese local governments in areas of trade, tourism, education and aviation and put forward their ideas and suggestions on advancing cooperation with their sister cities in China.

 

Moreover, the delegation also held talks with Asia New Zealand Foundation Executive Director Mr. Simon J. Draper and people in charge of AIIA, the University of Queensland and the Confucius Institute at the University. Vice-President Qi Xuchun delivered a speech at the University of Victoria and had exchanges with the faculty and students. He also visited New Zealand friendly personage Mr. Bill Willmott and the overseas Chinese representatives in Australia.

 

The visit is a people-to-people diplomatic activity shortly after the conclusion of the G20 Hangzhou Summit when China again became the spotlight of the world. During the visit, Vice-President Qi Xuchun elaborated the initiative on world economic development put forward by President Xi Jinping at the G20 Hangzhou Summit, introduced the “Four Comprehensives” and the “13th Five-Year” plan and illustrated the “Belt and Road” initiative as well as the new opportunities could be brought about by this initiative to New Zealand and Australia. The visit has achieved complete success.