15 Sept 2026
NZ Delegation Travels to Taiwan for Joint Business Councils Meeting
A New Zealand Taiwan Business Council trade and investment mission travelled to Taiwan on 10-15 September 2026 for a series of high level meetings, product exhibitions and site visits.
The highlight of the trip was the 2026 joint conference between the NZ Taiwan Business Council and the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) Taiwan held at The Regent Taipei on Friday 11 September. This was the first joint business councils meeting to be held in Taiwan since 2023.
The meeting was opened by CIECA chair Mr Joseph Lyu, followed by addresses from CIECA NZ Committee chair Mr David Wang and NZ Taiwan Business Council chair, Mr Chris Tse.
Tse said that the bilateral trade relationship between New Zealand and Taiwan was built on the strong foundations of the ANZTEC free trade agreement, now in its thirteenth year. In suggesting that “ANZTEC is no longer a child and is now developing into a teenager” he said that many of the easy gains through tariff reductions had been made and the challenge moving forward was to expand into new sectors. He proposed that this challenge could be met through collaboration in sectors of mutual interest such as smart healthcare, renewable energies, disaster management and AI.
Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr Cynthia Kiang, and Director of the NZ Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei, Mr Chris Langley, were among other dignitaries to speak at the opening plenary session.
Langley highlighted New Zealand’s attractiveness as an investment destination, particular using the new Active Investor Plus (AIP) programme which links investment opportunities with a pathway to residence. This was a common theme of the meeting, reflecting how the NZ Taiwan relationship is broadening from goods and services trade to investment, migration and other connections.
A highlight for many in the morning session was a closing performance by New Zealand’s Te Pā Tū cultural group from Rotorua who performed a stirring waiata, poi dance and haka to rapturous applause.
The afternoon session featured presentations from the New Zealand food and beverage, investment services and software sectors. Attendees were treated to croissants made by NZ chef Mark Southon using Herbivore, a New Zealand plant-based butter. Simultaneous translation of the presentations was provided by the impressive Orato Flow AI system which provides real time translation in over 70 languages.
Site Visits
On Monday 14 September, the New Zealand delegation embarked on a day of on-site presentations, the highlights being visits to the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Center, Creation Food Co., Ltd and the Agricultural Technology Research Institute (ATRI).
Fo Guang Shan has close connections in New Zealand with two buddhist temples in Auckland and Christchurch. They run an impressive global operation featuring diverse activities including religious education and training, broadcast media, print media, food, art and cultural activities.
Creation Food is Taiwan’s leading producer of fresh milk and creamers for the food service, hospitality and airline sectors as well as a leading importer of imported food products. They are already a large purchaser of New Zealand dairy products but are eager to explore other New Zealand food products.
ATRI conducted a trial export shipment to New Zealand of their pineapple variety Tainung No. 23, better known as Taiwan’s mango pineapple. Besides developing new plant and fruit varieties the government organisation’s research activities include: animal husbandry, functional foods, biomedical products and AI solutions for the primary sector.
The 2026 Trade and Investment Mission to Taiwan was a success on many fronts. Every opportunity to exchange of ideas, build partnerships and make personal connections helped to further cement the longstanding business relationship between New Zealand and Taiwan.
The renewed commitment from both sides promises to expand the relationship into new areas of trade, investment, research collaboration, economic development and friendship.
