'China and' strategy
Trade Minister Todd McClay says the Chinese market remains soft and consumers are more cautious in their buying patterns, but he says there are still many opportunities for New Zealand.
Speaking at the Chinese Business Summit in Auckland last week, he noted that it was the Western industrial countries that preached to China in its early stages of development the virtues of an open market, free trade and sustainability.
Xiaolong noted that China has fulfilled all its commitments and obligations under WTO and its FTAs with other countries and regions including New Zealand.
"Then, ironically, the very countries having lectured us in the first place have ditched their own sermons. It so turns out that the 'fair competition', 'comparative advantage' or 'free trade' they espouse is but a game that must be won by them and them alone, and is for everyone else to lose."
He was reminding NZ of Canada's reluctance to open their dairy market to NZ products allowed under a trade deal.
