Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay on the sidelines of the APEC Trade Ministers Meeting in Suzhou on May 21, 2026. Both sides agreed to accelerate negotiations on the China-New Zealand FTA service trade negative list, aiming to achieve substantive results within the year. Wang emphasised that under the strategic guidance of the two countries leaders, China and NZ are continuously exploring cooperation potential in agriculture and new energy.

McClay thanked China for hosting the 2026 APEC series of meetings and expressed New Zealand’s willingness to leverage complementary advantages to deepen bilateral trade and investment cooperation. The meeting also covered strengthening coordination in multilateral and regional frameworks including APEC.

5月21日，中国商务部部长王文涛在苏州亚太经合组织贸易部长会期间会见新西兰贸易部长麦克莱。双方同意加快推进中新自贸协定服务贸易负面清单谈判，力争年内取得实质性成果。王文涛表示，在两国领导人战略引领下，中新正不断挖掘农业、新能源等领域合作潜力。麦克莱感谢中方主办2026年APEC系列会议，表示新方愿与中方共同发挥互补优势，进一步密切对华合作，推动贸易投资增长。双方还讨论了在APEC等多边和区域框架下加强沟通协调。

The commitment to achieving substantive results on the FTA service trade negative list within 2026 is the most significant takeaway from this meeting. A negative list approach would fundamentally change the landscape for NZ service providers in China, opening sectors by default unless specifically excluded. The mention of agriculture and new energy as cooperation areas signals potential new trade opportunities beyond traditional sectors.

For NZ businesses, the key message is that both governments are actively working to reduce services trade barriers, and companies should prepare for expanded market access. The APEC context also reinforces the broader regional trade architecture that benefits NZ-China bilateral trade.

承诺在2026年内就FTA服务贸易负面清单取得实质性成果是此次会晤最重要的成果。负面清单方式将从根本上改变新西兰服务提供商在中国的市场格局，默认开放所有部门除非明确排除。提及农业和新能源作为合作领域，预示着传统领域之外的新贸易机遇。对新西兰企业而言，关键信息是两国政府正积极努力降低服务贸易壁垒，企业应为扩大市场准入做好准备。APEC背景也强化了有利于新中双边贸易的更广泛区域贸易架构。

Photo by AI on MiDeer Observer

Source: Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM)

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