Show Notes
China has made a firm decision to prioritise the development and implementation of AI, as a core tech pillar for its next stage of socio-economic development. But we hear very little about China’s advancements, achievements and challenges. In June 2026 our Council joined with AI Forum New Zealand and Tech New Zealand for a one-week, deep-dive visit to four cities in China, to look at AI and robotics under development and in daily use. In this podcast, delegation members Blake Harkness, Ernestynne Walsh and Michael Murphy share their visit impressions, reflections and surprises with our executive director Alistair Crozier.
More from New Zealand China Council Podcast
This podcast with business leader Wu Zhen (Magna International), in collaboration with the Asia New Zealand Foundation, is for anyone interested in sustainability trends in the China market in 2026: from marketing EVs in China to wider consumer tastes and trends, tips for NZ exporters, and renewable energy evolution, it’s a chance to hear from a leader at the heart of China’s remarkable ongoing transformation. Thank you to ANZF’s Ethan Jones for facilitating.
It can be hard making sense of a spectrum of economic indicators in China these days: is the economy firing or spluttering, and what’s the mood amongst New Zealand companies in the thick of things? Each year the NZ Business Roundtable in China (NZBRiC) conducts a survey of kiwi business mood, performance and outlook in China. In this podcast NZBRiC executive director Nick Caldwell walks us through the latest survey data, and the recommendations that have flowed from the results. Nothing beats boots-on-the-ground insights!
Currently over 33% of New Zealand’s international students are from China, totaling almost 30,000 students in 2024. The lifelong connections these links create have helped to fuel the bilateral relationship in many other ways.
The Schwarzman Scholars Programme offers an unparalleled chance to study global affairs for a year at Tsinghua University in Beijing, taught by and studying alongside some of the world’s best and brightest. Yet few New Zealanders have participated. Jamie Wood is one who has. In this podcast Jamie talks about her experiences, and the windows into China and the world opened through the programme; as well as her next career move, with an AI and robotics-focused Chinese investment fund.
What does it take to build a food brand in one of the world’s fastest-changing markets? What food trends are shaping Chinese consumer choices in 2025? How are consumers responding to sustainability when it comes to food? And do Kiwi exporters need to keep up with “China speed”? In this episode, Kiwi entrepreneur Christiana Zhu 朱佳慧 talks to the Council’s Summer Xia about her journey as Founder-CEO of Marvelous Foods—the company behind Yeyo, China’s first dairy-free coconut yogurt—along with insights from her other diverse experiences in and with China. Whether you’re curious about the China market, passionate about sustainability, or love a good founder story, this episode is packed with insights worth exploring.