New Zealand, China and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

The New Zealand, China and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road conference, jointly organised by the New Zealand Contemporary Research Centre and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was held in Wellington on 8 August.

The agenda of the conference included: drives behind China’s most ambitious regional economic initiative and concepts underpin it; impact of Maritime Silk projects on regional developments and existing relations; intersection between Maritime Silk Road and existing regional economic architecture and the rules-based trade system. Stephen Jacobi, Executive Director of the NZ China Council (NZCC), presented NZCC’s Belt and Road Report, focusing on how New Zealand can benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative.

The conference was also an occasion for the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre (NZCCRC) to release its paper: The Belt and Road Initiative – A New Zealand Appraisal. “We welcome NZCCRC’s paper.  At the New Zealand China Council, we encourage not only a better understanding of Belt and Road in New Zealand, but  an informed discussion about how we can participate.” said Stephen Jacobi.