·Special Report One：Motivations and Prospects for Cooperation in Asia-Pacific Region·
Promoting Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region
Peter Goodfellow
Honorary President of Oceania Silk Road Network
1 The importance of Asia-Pacific
According the Asian Development Bank，Asia-Pacific now accounts for 60% of the world’s economic growth，more than any other region. The region will be the engine of the global economy in the coming years.
71% of NZ（New Zealand）’s trade is with Asia-Pacific counties.
Asia，particularly East Asia，has become increasingly important to NZ. In 1970，less than 10% of NZ’s goods exports to Asia. Today it’s over 43%，including about 41% to East Asia. In 1970，NZ imported just NZ$147 million from Asia. Today we import about NZ$23 billion from East Asia alone，which accounts for about 45% of our total import.
Six of NZ’s top ten markets are in East Asia（China，Japan，Singapore，South Korea，Thailand and Malaysia），with China and Australia being our largest two trading partners.
New Zealand’s trade relationship with China has nearly tripled over the past decade，with bilateral trade rising from $8.6 billion in the 2007 to $26.1 billion in the December 2017 calendar year. Two-way trade is the total value of goods and services imported and exported between two countries.
The six top trading partners include three ASEAN（Association of South East Asia Nations）countries，namely Singapore，Thailand and Malaysia. ASEAN as a whole accounts for about 11% of NZ total trade.
2 About Belt and Road Initiative’s importance to regional cooperation and global development
Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road（The Belt and Road Initiative）can create opportunities amidst challenges and changes. We welcome and support the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance connectivity around the world. By providing important opportunities for countries to deepen cooperation，it has achieved positive outcomes and has future potential to deliver more benefits as an important international initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China. Yet it’s not going to be China’s solo show. A better analogy would be that of a symphony performed by an orchestra composed of all participating countries. This Initiative is meant to be a major international public goods benefiting all countries. It is not an empty slogan，but rather a series of visible and concrete actions centering around the crucial link of connectivity and infrastructure development as a key part of economic cooperation，which is well-suited to the needs of countries and regions along the route.
3 The Uniqueness of NZ
·A young trading nation
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·A multicultural society
New Zealand is a diverse country，with about 150 ethnic groups speaking over 200 languages. Chinese New Zealanders account for about 4% of NZ population. 25% of New Zealand population were born overseas.
·An innovative country
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·In the South Pacific which is a part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road
As an influential country in Oceania，New Zealand can play an important role in better understanding Chinese involvement in the region.
As a multi-cultural society，New Zealand is well positioned to facilitate and benefit from the economic and trade relations between China and the Oceania region. We have big communities from both China and the Pacific Islands. They can be bridges between China and the region. This is a benefit of cultural diversity. If we do well，we could even be a hub.
4 Good international citizen with good relations with all major countries
You may specifically mention the five firsts.
China attributes “five firsts” to New Zealand：
1.In 1997 New Zealand became the first country to agree to China’s accession to the WTO by concluding the bilateral negotiations component of that process.
2.New Zealand was the first country to recognise China as a market economy in 2004.
3.New Zealand was the first developed country to commence FTA negotiations with China. In November 2004，New Zealand and China launched FTA negotiations.
4.In April 2008，New Zealand became the first country to successfully conclude Free Trade Agreement negotiations with China.
5.In November 2016，New Zealand and China jointly announced the launch of negotiations to upgrade our bilateral FTA，a first for a developed country with China.
But New Zealand’s innovative relationship with China extends beyond its trading relationship，and into areas including aid cooperation and mutual recognition of each other’s systems. For example：
·In 2013，New Zealand was the first country to undertake a tripartite development project with China，providing better water infrastructure to the Cook Islands.
·In 2014，New Zealand was the first country to sign inter-governmental agreements with China to jointly produce both television and film productions.
·In 2015，New Zealand was the first developed country to become a prospective founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank（AIIB）；and
·In 2016，New Zealand was the first country to achieve mutual recognition with China on organic food certification.
NZ can be
·one of the world’s best start-up hubs for innovation
·a hub of cultural convergence
·a hub for international cooperation
·as well as one of the best hubs for sustainability
New Zealand could contribute more of its unique power of smallness and remoteness to the world.
5 OSRN’s Role
The Oceania Silk Road Network（OSRN）was established in March 2017 during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to New Zealand by Peter Goodfellow，DrJian Yang，Martin Thomson and William Zhao. OSRN’s mission was to promote cooperation in various sectors.
The bilateral ties between China and New Zealand have been growing rapidly in the past decade. However，there are still great challenges for the two parties to further engage with each other. More efficient mechanisms are needed for the two countries to connect and work together.
To address these challenges，OSRN aims to set up an effective mechanism and establish a network where New Zealand organisations with focus on China can explore ways to engage with the right partners in China. Conversely，it also wants to help Chinese businesses interested in New Zealand to link and build relations with local stakeholders.
OSRN is more than a trade organisation. We are the most comprehensive and inclusive platform delivering connections across all spectrum of New Zealand-China relations based on a holistic business model.
OSRN aims to promote cooperation among government institutions，think tanks，industrial associations，financial institutions，social organisations，media，and international multilateral and bilateral organisations. It also aims to help integrate various resources between China and Oceanian countries，such as economic，social，and cultural resources.
OSRN has been growing fast in the past year. Its inaugural NEXT Summit was a great success. It was one of the best conferences I had ever attended here in New Zealand. OSRN has proved itself as a highly effective organisation.
The Next Summit is an independent international cooperation platform for promoting the integration and sharing of international resources. We are committed to improving global innovation，cooperation and sustainability.
The first NEXT Summit at Auckland in 2017 discussed and shared new thoughts and best practice in Innovation，Cooperation and Sustainability，as well as new models and opportunities of international cooperation while taking the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 as a case study.
ORSN has recently set up its Advisory Committee and Expert Committee and is working with its Chinese partners to hold the second NEXT Summit in Hangzhou this November.
One of our Chinese partners is the National Institute for Global Strategy（NIGS），Chinese Academy of Social Sciences（CASS）.
6 The National Institute for Global Strategy （NIGS），Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
I understand that NIGS is a host of this very important conference. I would like to congratulate NIGS. CASS is one the largest think tanks in the world and NIGS is one of the most influential think tanks relating to the Belt and Road Initiative（BRI）and China’s approaches to the world in general. It is a great privilege to work with NIGS.
7 The Second NEXT Summit
The second NEXT Summit will be held from 23 November to 24 November in Hangzhou. Over 500 people from a number of countries under the BRI will attend the summit. We have made excellent progress and have received confirmed support and participation from various organisations，agencies and globally influential people. The summit is poised to be a great success. My colleague Director General Mr William Zhao will introduce more details later on. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to the NEXT Summit in Hangzhou.