Strong Interest in Belt and Road in Christchurch

The Council’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) travelling road show arrived at PwC’s new offices in Christchurch on Thursday 17 March. An audience of 75 of the City’s business and civic leaders heard from NZCC Chair, Sir Don McKinnon, Executive Director, Stephen Jacobi and PwC’s Colum Rice, about the conclusion of, and thinking behind, our recently released Strategic Pathway report.

China’s Consul-General to Christchurch, Mr Wang Zhijian, gave a perspective from Beijing after a lively Q&A. A key theme of the discussion was the need for a focused, long-term response from NZ Inc to the opportunities that the BRI represents. There is interest in Christchurch in forming some type of standing forum to foster a coordinated and strategic approach. The Council is looking forward to developing this idea further.