Sir John Key is calling for New Zealand to celebrate its achievement with China and fight for its relationship with China amid geopolitical turbulences.

The former prime minister spoke at the “Vision 2025” business event in Auckland today, which was held by the China Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand.

Key said the relationship between China and the United States was bad and was worsening, but New Zealand should make its own decisions.

He believed if it was not for China, New Zealand’s economy wouldn’t have been as strong, and the world wouldn’t have got out of the global financial crisis in the way it did.

China held great potential for New Zealand, he said.

“If you were lying in bed at night and you say to yourself, what is going to make the waka go faster? Here’s a clue,” Key said. “Hundreds of millions of consumers who are getting wealthier who want to buy the things we produce, and that is called China.”

He said New Zealand should support China to enter CPTPP, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, to foster trade.

New Zealand should also celebrate its achievements with China, he said.

“…Just because the rest of the world or some countries like the United States wants to have a perspective doesn’t mean that we can’t have a good relationship with China,” Key said.

Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen

Having a good relationship also could allow New Zealand to have an open and honest conversation on things the two countries might disagree on, such as human rights concerns, he said.

New Zealand should also be cautious about letting other countries set its foreign policy, and New Zealanders should believe in what they could see and be optimistic about what they can achieve, Key said.

“…Let’s just celebrate what we’ve got, and that is the largest trading partner this country owns, and that, in my opinion, is worth fighting for.”

Leader of the Labour party Chris Hipkins said the trade relationship between the two countries “is dynamic, it’s growing, and it can be very collaborative”.

He echoed Key’s views about foreign policy making in light of the geopolitical challenges.

“I said the other day that we need to make the decisions based on what’s in New Zealand’s best interests. That means that New Zealand’s foreign policy should be determined here in New Zealand,” Hipkins said.

“It shouldn’t be dictated by any other country around the world, and I think that we should strenuously avoid the polarization of geopolitical politics and the pressure that we may see to pick aside.”

Multiple New Zealand enterprises also shared their experiences in doing business with China, with a focus on adaptability, and views on climate change, new energy and sustainability.

Trade minister Todd McClay and Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong also spoke at the event. Both emphasised the importance of New Zealand and China trade relationships.

The event was the fourth of its kind, starting in 2019 and stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic and restarted in 2022.

This year’s event also featured a charity auction raising funds for Well Foundation and the National Youth Theatre.