At Shenzhen Port Global Supply Chain High-Quality Development Conference 2026
Partnering on Green, Low-Carbon and Digital Transformations to Explore Sustainable Shipping, Logistics, and Global Supply Chains

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – At the Shenzhen Port Global Supply Chain High-Quality Development Conference 2026, TCL Industries, a global leader in consumer electronics, and Hutchison Ports Holdings Limited (Hutchison Ports), the world’s leading port investor, developer, and operator, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Guided by the shared vision of “Benefitting from New APEC Opportunities, Forging a New Future for Port and Shipping Cooperation”, the two parties will establish a closer strategic partnership. Focusing on carbon reduction and digital transformation, TCL Industries and Hutchison Ports will leverage their respective strengths in smart technology, new energy, and global port networks to jointly drive green and sustainable development across the global shipping and logistics sectors.

At a time when global supply chains face the dual demands of environmental challenges and efficiency upgrades, this cross-sector collaboration serves as a significant benchmark for the industry. Under the MoU, the parties plan to engage in deep exchange, cooperation, and knowledge-sharing across three core areas:

• Exploring Emission Reduction Opportunities: Jointly researching carbon reduction solutions across the logistics supply chain to collaboratively address the challenges of global climate change.

• Planning and Developing Green Port Infrastructure: Integrating cutting-edge clean energy and energy-saving technologies to co-develop next-generation green ports, thereby reducing the overall environmental footprint of port operations.

• Accelerating Comprehensive Digital Transformation: Leveraging big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimise the synergistic efficiency of the port and logistics ecosystem, empowering green initiatives through digital technology.

Weiguo Shi, Vice President of TCL Industries, said “This powerful partnership with Hutchison Ports represents a major milestone in our mission to empower the global shipping and logistics ecosystem through intelligent technology and new energy solutions. We will fully leverage our deep expertise in digital transformation and clean energy to work alongside Hutchison Ports, driving the entire industry towards a higher-quality, more sustainable new era.”

Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports, said “We are delighted to enter into this forward-looking strategic partnership with TCL Industries. Hutchison Ports is committed to leading the green transition of the port industry. By joining forces with TCL Industries, we look forward to accelerating the integration of green infrastructure and digital technologies, ultimately providing more sustainable and intelligent solutions for our customers and global supply chains.”

The signing of this MoU marks a solid step forward for TCL Industries and Hutchison Ports in addressing the sustainability challenges of global supply chains. Moving forward, both parties will establish regular communication mechanisms to steadily advance and implement their shared objectives, contributing to the development of a zero-carbon, smart global logistics ecosystem.

Hashtag: #TCL #HutchisonPorts

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

At Shenzhen Port Global Supply Chain High-Quality Development Conference 2026
Unlocking Global Network Synergies to Build a Stable and Efficient Supply Chain

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – At the Shenzhen Port Global Supply Chain High-Quality Development Conference 2026, Midea Group (Midea), the global smart home and technology giant, and Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (Hutchison Ports), the world’s leading port investor, developer, and operator, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Guided by the shared vision of “Benefitting from New APEC Opportunities, Forging a New Future for Port and Shipping Cooperation”, the two parties will deepen their global strategic partnership over the next two years, combining their respective strengths and resources to co-create a highly resilient, efficient, and mutually beneficial global supply chain ecosystem.

In response to the evolving global trade landscape, these two industry leaders are actively collaborating to bring together their strategic assets and global networks. Midea’s expanding manufacturing footprint overseas seamlessly aligns with Hutchison Ports’ extensive network of global port resources, establishing a perfect synergy particularly in key markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam and Mexico. As Midea accelerates its international expansion, its global logistics requirements are experiencing robust growth. This partnership will secure global maritime logistics corridors for Midea, ensuring stable and efficient delivery. Concurrently, Midea’s continuously growing cargo volumes will significantly boost throughput across Hutchison Ports’ terminals, in turn attracting more international shipping routes to call at its facilities.

Lewis Fu, President of Midea International, said “Under our globalisation strategy, securing reliable logistics services is fundamental to Midea’s sustained business growth. We are delighted to deepen our collaboration with Hutchison Ports. Through practical initiatives, such as data integration and priority lanes during peak seasons, we can further enhance supply chain synergy and operational efficiency. This gives us full confidence in steadily achieving our global shipping target of 1.5 million TEUs by 2027.”

Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports, said “As a world-leading technology enterprise, Midea Group is an incredibly valued strategic partner for Hutchison Ports. Midea’s massive and rapidly growing export volumes will inject strong momentum into our terminals. By leveraging our high-efficiency operational standards, advanced digital capabilities, and tailored service frameworks, we will provide reliable logistical support for Midea’s global expansion, establishing a new benchmark for industry collaboration.”

Under the MoU, this deepened collaboration will initially be launched using Hutchison Ports’ Yantian International Container Terminals (YANTIAN) as a key strategic anchor point, focusing on the following areas:

• Green Logistics and Digitalization Construction: Both parties will actively explore sustainable transport solutions that comply with local regulations and authorities. By integrating Midea’s business system with YANTIAN’s terminal operating system, they will achieve real-time information sharing and seamless workflow connectivity, significantly enhancing cargo handling and transport efficiency.

• Port Operation Support: Addressing industry choke points such as peak-season logistical delays and capacity constraints, Hutchison Ports will open priority lanes for Midea during peak seasons. This will expedite the pick-up, return, and reloading of Midea’s cargo, ensuring highly efficient dispatch operations and reinforcing the stability of Midea’s supply chain.

• Port Extension Services and Multimodal Transportation: The partners will jointly develop rail freight solutions connecting inland Chinese ports to YANTIAN, alongside comprehensive terminal logistics support including container yards, warehousing, and other value-added services.

Looking ahead, Midea and Hutchison Ports aim to progressively scale up the successful collaboration model established at YANTIAN across Hutchison Ports’ vast global network. Both parties will continue to strengthen their strategic alignment on a global level, jointly exploring innovative green and digital logistics solutions to set a new benchmark for smarter, greener, and more resilient global supply chains.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 June 2026 – Making its first-ever appearance at the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2026, one of South Korea’s largest international travel fairs, held from June 4–7, Sun Group has delivered a meaningful message: “Visit Vietnam: Beloved Destinations – Extraordinary Experiences.” The group has showcased iconic destinations including Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Sa Pa, and Ha Long, while telling the story of a Vietnam that is constantly innovating to create unique experiences for global travelers.

A special highlight is Sun Group’s unveiling of its new development vision for Phu Quoc in the lead‑up to APEC 2027, presented directly to Korean partners and visitors.

From the first day of the fair, Sun Group’s booth has welcomed a steady stream of visitors. Throughout the four-day event, the booth has organized B2B and B2C networking activities, customer consultations, and introductions to tourism, resort, and aviation products. Interactive programs, including mini-games, souvenir giveaways, and tailored offers for the Korean market, have kept the atmosphere lively for hours, with a continuous flow of engaged visitors.

During SITF (June 4–7), travelers have the opportunity to receive a 20% discount on the base fare when booking Sun PhuQuoc Airways tickets via the airline’s website or app. The offer applies to the Korean market for one‑way or round‑trip journeys from Korea to Phu Quoc. Limited to 200 Economy Class discount codes, it is valid for flights from June 15 to October 24, 2026 (excluding peak periods as defined by the airline).

Visitors also have the chance to win attractive prizes through booth activities, including free round‑trip air tickets on the Seoul–Phu Quoc route (ICN–PQC) and resort vouchers at hotels within Sun Group’s ecosystem.

By combining destination promotion with airline incentives, Sun Group aims to further encourage South Korean tourists to choose Vietnam for their upcoming holidays, especially Phu Quoc, which is entering a new era of large‑scale investments in projects, products, and experiences all aimed at APEC 2027.

Hashtag: #SunGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Good evening, everyone. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for the invitation to deliver this year’s annual lecture. It’s a pleasure to be here.

I would like to acknowledge NZIIA Patron and former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, members of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests. I would also like to acknowledge the outgoing members of the NZIIA Board, Dr James Kember and Suzannah Jessep and new board members Rosemary Banks and Dr Julia Macdonald.

The NZIIA has been asking hard questions about New Zealand’s place in the world for over seventy years. Tonight those questions are as relevant as at any point in that history.

I want to start with a simple observation. New Zealand is a trading nation. Not in the casual sense that politicians invoke when they want to sound economic – but fundamentally, and structurally.

One in four jobs in this country depends on our ability to sell to the world. A quarter of our GDP is generated offshore. We know that exporters pay higher wages at home and are more productive than domestically focused firms. We are geographically remote, domestically small, and globally dependent. That is not a problem to be solved. It is the defining condition of our economic prosperity.

And the system that has underwritten that economic life – the rules-based international trading order – is under more pressure than at any time since it was constructed after the Second World War.

The Global Trade Landscape
Two developments in the past twelve months have made that pressure acute.

The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global supply chains in ways our exporters are feeling directly. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz – which carries around 20% of the world’s daily oil supply – has driven up fuel costs and made getting products to market harder and more expensive.

The ceasefire is welcome, but the situation remains fragile, and the impacts on our exporters are real. They are navigating challenges with sourcing key inputs, maintaining competitiveness in the face of rising production and distribution costs, and finding reliable routes to market.

And even before that conflict, our exporters were already navigating a fundamentally changed approach to tariff policy from the United States. And the US is not the only one. Just ask our dairy exporters to Canada. The major economies really are playing outside the rules with very sharp elbows. These shifts are the clearest signal yet of a broader global trend: we are moving from a world governed by shared rules to one increasingly shaped by power.
For a small trading nation, that shift matters more than it does for many other countries.

I want to be clear about the stakes. Our exports rose 11.8% last year in 2025 – growth that happened because Kiwi exporters are world class and consumers will pay a premium for what we produce. That is a remarkable achievement in a difficult environment.

But it is not an achievement we can take for granted. It depends on continued access to markets, continued investment in relationships, and a continued commitment to the rules that provide certainty and transparency and enable our exporters to compete on a level playing field.

Tonight I want to talk about how this Government is responding to that challenge. Not reactively. Not defensively. But with a clear plan. Our plan has three parts: 
•    shoring up and creating new rules that underpin our trade. 
•    building resilience so our exporters can weather disruption. 
•    and innovating – because in a world where the old rules are contested, New Zealand has to earn its seat at the table.

Shoring Up Trade Rules
For a small trading nation like New Zealand, the rules-based system has always mattered more to us than it does to the large economies that can apply asymmetrical bilateral leverage.

Kiwis believe in fairness and the rules deliver exactly that. They level the playing field. They give our exporters the certainty, the transparency, and the market access that no amount of diplomatic relationship-building can substitute for.

It is worth remembering that despite everything, 72% of world trade still takes place under WTO rules. The system is battered. But it is not broken – and New Zealand has a clear national interest in saving as much of the multilateral furniture as possible.

That said, we are pragmatic. Progress at a multilateral level moves slowly. Too slowly for our exporters, who need better and certain access now. Which is why this Government has invested heavily in free trade agreements – the bilateral and regional deals that lock in the access we need and provide certainty that WTO processes alone cannot deliver.

FTAs
In 2025, 71% of New Zealand’s exports were covered by 17 high-quality FTAs. That is not an accident. It reflects a sustained, deliberate investment in trade architecture over 25 years – and this Government has moved faster and further than any that came before.

The results are tangible. Since our EU FTA entered into force in May 2024, New Zealand’s exports to the EU have grown by NZ$3 billion. Our exports to the UK grew 13% in the year to December 2025, following the conclusion of our UK FTA. 
Our exports to the UAE have seen record growth of 33% following that agreement’s entry into force.

And we have now concluded a deal with India – the world’s soon-to-be third largest economy, with 1.4 billion people and within the next 5 years a middle class of 700 million. That’s greater than the entire population of the EU or ASEAN.

When our Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement enters into force, 75% of New Zealand’s exports will be covered by FTAs. These are not theoretical gains. These are the binding international treaties that are the building blocks of long-term prosperity for New Zealand.

Shoring up trade rules is not only about securing new FTAs – equally important is investing in existing FTAs to make sure they continue to deliver for the evolving needs of our exporters. This means upgrading and expanding these FTAs. We upgrade them by negotiating new rules to meet the new issues and challenges our traders are grappling with – for example last year an upgrade negotiation for Asean- Australia New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA) was informed by the COVID supply shock experience and delivered outcomes which make trade of essential goods easier and more efficient during times of crises.

We are working energetically to expand our plurilateral FTAs through accession negotiations. This brings more economies within the umbrella of FTA rules our exporters rely on and provides new preferential market access. CPTPP already consists of 12 economies that represent around 16% of global GDP, and we have concluded accession negotiations with Costa Rica, with an ever-growing list of countries queueing up to join.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is the world’s biggest FTA globally by population and total GDP, and we are working to expand it further including into important markets where New Zealand does not currently have FTAs, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

WTO
These agreements will continue to be an essential component of New Zealand’s economic resilience strategy. And we will continue to prioritise the WTO which provides the foundation for the global system of trade rules that matters so much to New Zealand.

But let me be direct about the WTO. The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon was deeply disappointing. And I say this as the Vice Chair of the Conference and as the facilitator for the negotiations on reform.

The absence of multilateral outcomes – extending WTO reform, on the e-commerce moratorium, on agriculture and fish subsidies – reflected the entrenched positions of major economies unwilling to compromise. That is a real setback, and we should not pretend otherwise.

New Zealand will not walk away. We will continue to be a constructive, pragmatic broker. We will continue to push on agricultural trade reform, harmful fisheries subsidies, trade-distorting industrial policy, and digital trade rules. Because in a world shifting from rules to power, every institution we can support and every norm we can embed makes New Zealand safer. The alternative – abandoning the multilateral system – is not an option for a country like ours. And we will invest in the institution. I am delighted that the 165 WTO members have endorsed the appointment of the New Zealand Ambassador to Geneva to lead the WTO peak body, the General Council.

Building Resilience
Trade rules alone are not enough. Our second pillar is resilience – the ability to keep New Zealand’s trade flowing when the system is under stress. I see our resilience agenda through three lenses: engagement with our exporters, diversification in our international relationships, and the unglamorous but high-value and critical work of removing non-tariff barriers.

Engaging our exporters
When the US tariff announcements hit, we moved immediately to get real-time information out to exporters and to hear from them directly. We have run regular, well-attended webinars since then. And MFAT’s website contains 754 market intelligence reports for New Zealand traders.

I have already done five India FTA roadshows around the country over the past few months with more to come. Getting out and hearing from our exporters and the public – not just in Auckland and Wellington, but across the regions – is one of the most valuable things I do as a Minister. It shapes our priorities and it builds trust.

We will continue to prioritise this kind of engagement, particularly in the current tumultuous environment. Kiwi exporters have shown time and again that they are resourceful and resilient. Our job is to make sure they have the information, the access, and the support they need to make the most of the opportunities we have secured for them.

Take for example an ice cream company that established a New Zealand and Asian plastic packaging supply chain following COVID 19.  Given the low stocks, they are now exploring how cardboard could be used instead.

Investing in relationships
This Government has prioritised both investing in our partnerships and diversifying our trade relationships.  This has included more international visits than any previous government in a parliamentary term to build and strengthen New Zealand’s relationships with key partners.  

Trade missions are about opening doors for New Zealand exporters – helping them build relationships, understand markets, and turn opportunities into real contracts, and the trade missions we’ve achieved to date have helped deliver over 200 commercial outcomes valued at more than NZ$2 billion. Those are not just numbers. They represent new connections, new contracts, and new confidence for Kiwi businesses in markets they might not have entered alone.

Our Saudi Arabia mission is a good example. We unlocked five commercial deals worth over $100 million. The 21 businesses who came with us opened doors in premium food, technology, services, construction, and the creative industries. Those doors opened because we showed up.  We invested in the relationship, and we demonstrated that New Zealand is a serious partner.

Our relationship with Singapore tells a similar story. New Zealand’s original trade agreement with Singapore was one of our first. We have invested in that relationship for over two decades. And that investment recently produced something genuinely new – the world’s first Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies, designed specifically to keep essential goods moving in times of crisis. It delivers better fuel predictability for New Zealand and food security for Singapore. 
It only became possible because we had built the relationship long before we needed it.

Not only have we prioritised engagement with our long-standing partnerships – such as Australia and the EU- but we are also future-proofing our trade resilience through diversification, which can help open alternative markets and sources of supplies.

This is why we saw the China market as a good opportunity back in 2008 – when no other developed country had an FTA with China. China is now New Zealand’s largest export market and the value of our exports to China has soared from between $2 to $3 billion to around $23 billion per annum.

Another approach we have taken to strengthening partnerships is through our leverage of CPTPP to establish formal dialogues with the EU and ASEAN – something the PM and I have prioritised in these challenging times.  This provides a valuable opportunity for large trade blocs (with the EU and CPTPP representing a third of global trade) to move on issues that are currently paralysed at the WTO.

And our partnerships with the Pacific, through the PACER Plus agreement, are essential to the prosperity and resilience of our region. That is why our government, alongside Australia, has invested NZD 38 million in Aid for Trade initiatives that strengthen countries’ trade capacity under the agreement.
I will also continue to strengthen relationships with Pacific Island Countries that have yet to join PACER Plus, including Fiji, because regional economic integration through trade makes us all more resilient.

Removing non-tariff barriers
Our relationships are also critical to resolve many of New Zealand’s non-tariff barriers (NTBs) – from certification requirements, labelling rules, testing regimes, to environmental regulations – these issues slow growth.

NTBs currently affect almost NZ$9 billion worth of New Zealand’s exports across more than 50 markets, and this government is committed to finding solutions. 
Last year alone, we resolved NTBs affecting around $600 million of exports. Some examples include unlocking access to China’s $200 million cosmetics and skincare market, signing and implementing a deer velvet arrangement with China providing market growth worth $64.5 million in the year to December 2024, and expanding access for New Zealand dairy products and blueberries to Korea worth $5 to $10 million, and $5 million, respectively.

We are also progressing a new plurilateral arrangement with like-minded partners to tackle NTBs in third markets cooperatively. This work does not generate headlines. But it directly affects whether Kiwi exporters can compete.

Innovation: Securing Our Seat at the Table
Our third pillar is innovation. I have heard the phrase: “New Zealand needs the world to trade, but the world doesn’t need New Zealand.” That just means we have to earn our place. And innovation is how we do that.

New Zealand has a record of bringing trade ideas to the world that larger countries haven’t thought of yet. The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement – DEPA – is a clear example. New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile created the world’s first standalone digital economy agreement, covering everything from business facilitation and digital trust through to AI and digital inclusion. The Republic of Korea has since joined. Costa Rica and Peru are seeking membership. That agreement started as an idea from three small, like-minded countries, and it is now shaping the architecture of global digital trade.

Similarly, we are working to maximise the commercial value of indigenous business connection through the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPECTA).

Our leadership in institutions like APEC, the OECD, and the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative has gradually found its way into the hard rules of agreements like CPTPP. That is how small countries shape the world.

We are building on that legacy with the Green Economy Partnership Agreement. Working with Chile and Singapore, GEPA will make the green transition easier for producers, exporters, and investors, and position Kiwi businesses to compete in a global green economy projected to be worth US$11 trillion by 2040.

And through the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership – FIT-P – New Zealand is working with 16 like-minded, trade-dependent economies with a global reach ranging from Norway to Rwanda to Malaysia. Our approach is to cooperate on practical solutions for supply chains, paperless trade, non-tariff barriers, and trade-distorting subsidies. This initiative came about when I got together with trade colleagues from Switzerland, Singapore and the UAE. We knew we needed to find a way to support each other, reinforce the rules-based system, and work together to create new rules that give our traders more certainty.

Most recently at MC14, Eleven FIT-P members released a Joint Statement on maintaining open and resilient supply chains given the impact on global trade of the Middle East conflict. New Zealand and these FIT partners have committed to working together to identify disruptions to the trade of essential goods and exchanging information on how we will approach and mitigate these.

I will host my fellow trade ministers at the next FIT-P Ministerial in Auckland later this year. That is a leadership role, and we intend to use it to find new ways to support our exporters and their jobs, incomes and productivity in New Zealand.

The Long Game
Our goal is ambitious: to double the value of New Zealand’s exports in ten years. That requires growth in trade relationships – but it also requires growth in investment.

New Zealand is well below the OECD average for foreign direct investment as a share of GDP. That gap has a direct cost in productivity and wages. That is why this Government established InvestNZ – New Zealand’s first dedicated foreign investment agency – to attract more capital into sectors with the highest growth potential: renewable energy, technology, data infrastructure, advanced manufacturing. More capital means higher productivity. Higher productivity means better wages for New Zealanders.

And we are also seeing our export base diversify in ways that are genuinely exciting. Technology, commercial services, and education are growing fast. Companies like Auror – which exports retail crime prevention software to Australia, the UK, and North America – and Halter, exporting high-tech livestock management solutions globally, are proving that New Zealand innovation can compete anywhere. These are exactly the kinds of businesses we want to see more of, in more markets, with more support behind them.

We also want to venture deeper into global markets that are bursting with opportunities – like Latin America, which is fast becoming a key growth market for New Zealand exporters, with our exports to the region rising by 41% since 2021.  

This Government has already started making inroads – the Minister of Foreign Affairs led a Parliamentary and large business delegation to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay earlier this year to strengthen our partnerships, deepen our people-to-people links, and boost our profile.  

The visit was a huge success, with a range of New Zealand exporters announcing new commercial agreements with companies in Argentina – fostering connections, and growing partnerships.  

We’re also exploring additional markets in Asia and looking at opportunities in Africa.  Diversification is not just an economic strategy – it is insurance.

Conclusion
Let me finish with this.

The world New Zealand trades in today is harder and much more uncertain than the one we were trading in five years ago. The rules are more contested. The relationships are more complex. The disruptions are more frequent. I do not expect that to change anytime soon.

But this is not a new challenge for a country like ours. New Zealand has always had to work that much harder and smarter than larger economies to secure and protect its access to markets. We have always had to be more creative, more constructive, more persistent, and more present.

What this Government has done is bring that same mindset – and more energy, and more urgency – to the task.

That’s why this Government has run more trade missions than any previous administration in a parliamentary term.

That’s why this Government established New Zealand’s first dedicated investment agency.

Because 400 million people around the world get around 10% of their diet from New Zealand. Our farmers, our food producers, our tech companies, and our service exporters are among the best in the world. They deserve a government that fights for them on the world stage.

We are fighting for them. And we are not finished.
 

MIL OSI

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

[Speech to the New Zealand Innovation Showcase, Brasilia, Brazil, 5 March 2026]

Executive Secretary and Deputy Minister Elias, excellencies, distinguished guests, tēnā koutou katoa, boa noite, good evening.

We want to acknowledge the senior New Zealand bipartisan political delegation joining this mission:

Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Hon Nicole McKee, Minister for Courts
Hon Damien O’Connor, Opposition Spokesperson for Trade
Mr Tim van de Molen, Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee

We are also joined by a wide range of New Zealand companies active in Brazil. Some of their senior representatives have travelled with us from New Zealand, others are based here in Brazil, and a few have come from other parts of Latin America. They bring innovative solutions to essential sectors in Brazil – solutions for infrastructure, energy and resources, healthcare, defence, and agriculture.

All of these companies share a common thread: New Zealand’s reputation for innovation, practical solutions, and world-class quality.

It therefore is a great pleasure to formally open this New Zealand Innovation Showcase.

It’s wonderful to be back in Brazil. New Zealanders have long admired your country. For us, way down at the bottom of the Southwest pacific, just north of the penguins, Brazil has always grabbed our imagination. The mighty Amazon, the world’s lungs, its great river, and within its vast canopy, the greatest biodiversity anywhere on the planet. We admire the vibrant rhythm and flair of your people, and, of course, the magnificent history of your football team.

The first New Zealand football team to qualify for the World Cup was in 1982, after our team survived 15 gruelling matches just to qualify for the world’s premier sporting event. When the draw came out, with Brazil in our group, we all wondered how our team could hope to compete against a Brazilian side containing brilliant, world class players like Éder, Falcao, Júnior, Sócrates and Zico.

Well, you were very respectful of New Zealand that day, only scoring four goals against us, for which we remain grateful. Such was the euphoria New Zealanders felt to be even on the same pitch as your team, our capital’s then leading newspaper declared after the big loss that ‘Four years ago it would’ve been 20-0!’

In 1982 you were the best team at the tournament, but you didn’t win. New Zealanders understood your pain 13 years later, when a great All Blacks rugby team, the best performer at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, faltered at the final hurdle. That day we understood how Brazilians felt in 1982.

It was also an honour to meet Pelé in 2006, at FIFA’s invitation for that year’s World Cup Final in Berlin. Pelé came to define Brazilian football with his sublime skill, the freedom and excitement with which he played, his resilience and determination during his long career, and the way he carried himself on the pitch with a grace that only the most gifted can reach.

We would now like to turn attention to another important topic for all of us here: New Zealand’s relations with Latin America.

Though a vast ocean, and the imposing Andes, separate New Zealand from Brazil, we share important values – a commitment to democracy, the international rule of law, multilateralism, and a vision to create, however imperfectly, a future that sustains and nourishes our children and their children’s material needs, and whose environment and climate is tended to with a serious duty of care. Brazil’s demonstrated this duty of care during its recent impressive hosting of COP 30.

Twenty twenty-six marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the New Zealand Embassy here in Brasilia, and the 62nd anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

We have, since coming into office, led a highly active diplomacy, focusing most particularly on our own region, the Pacific, and in South and Southeast Asia. Now is the time, we believe, to build on our history in South America to elevate our diplomatic and economic relationships with your continent.

We do so because those of us who have history together, who share common beliefs, and possess the same essential values, must strengthen our bonds as we work to protect institutions that have, for all their imperfections, helped to sustain conditions of global peace for 80 years. We come as friends wanting to talk about the work ahead.

That is also why we are here as a cross-party delegation, alongside our business delegation, to signal as clearly as we can, that boosting our relationships with Brazil and with your Latin American neighbours is a goal on all sides of New Zealand politics.

This commitment is not made lightly, nor is it merely a response to the current regional and global disruptions we face. It is a recognition from New Zealand that we have not done enough in past decades to grow our relations, and we are resolved not just to improve them, but to transform them.

That will take time, and this is just the beginning, but we are keen to move fast as we find those areas where our people can mutually benefit from our governments and businesses’ greater collaborations and partnerships.

We see Latin America as an important partner in addressing major global challenges, including building climate resilience, and boosting food and energy security.

We also share serious concerns over the ever present and fast-growing threat of transnational organised crime. We also share in the urgent need to protect and promote effective rules-based multilateralism and trade architecture.

Put simply, New Zealand cannot expect to be able to progress initiatives in the international arena without Latin American cooperation – be that in the United Nations, Antarctic Treaty System, APEC, or on trade. Your region matters enormously for us.

As we say, continuing to build our relationships with the region is a strategic choice for New Zealand.  It is why we have a sizeable network of diplomatic missions spread across the region, and why we have held a series of foreign policy consultations over the last year. Our Latin American partnerships matter.

And this is again why we considered it important to undertake this rare cross-parliamentary, business and cultural mission to the region. Within a geo-strategic environment that is changing rapidly and is hugely challenging, deepening our engagement with Latin America is critical for achieving our enduring objectives of ensuring:

A sustainable future, a prosperous and resilient future, and a stable, safe, and just future – for your people and ours.

A sustainable future

We recall first visiting Brasilia almost 20 years ago now as Foreign Minister, when President Lula was leading your country.  Back then we spoke about how Brazil was emerging as a political superpower. Today, Brazil is viewed as a leader in the multilateral space at a time of profound geopolitical change and challenge.

Brazil’s hosting role convening COP30 and the G20 reveals your country’s ability to bridge divides and foster dialogue among diverse partners, large and small. Brazil can feel proud in showcasing how committed it is to inclusive, forward-looking solutions on climate resilience, economic governance, and global security.

In our meetings here, with Minister Vieria, Ambassador Amorim and Deputy Minister Elias, we agreed that this is something we all need to do if we are to be successful in defending and advancing the international rules-based order on which our shared security and prosperity rely.

In an era where consensus is increasingly elusive, the ability to convene, lead, and inspire collaboration is indispensable. We have been saying in multilateral and bilateral fora that never has diplomacy been more needed than now. We need to talk more, listen more, even to those with whom we might not agree. But from more diplomacy, more listening to other perspectives, we see a path towards greater understanding between nations.

Our time here in Brasilia was preceded by visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where we similarly spoke with President Milei and President Orsi on the fundamental importance, indeed necessity, of boosting global cooperation and effective coalition-building with our Latin American and other partners.

Our shared interest in preserving the Antarctic as a zone of peace and science was a key topic, following on from New Zealand’s hosting late last year of an Antarctic Parliamentary Assembly. It was the first time the assembly was held in the Southern Hemisphere, and we were thrilled to be able to attract parliamentarians from across Latin America, including from Argentina and Uruguay.

While the Antarctic Treaty has been maintaining peace and promoting scientific collaboration for close to seven decades, the region is not immune to the impacts of the geopolitical landscape. Protecting the Antarctic is as important to us as protecting your vast rainforest is to you, as both have impacts on our global climate’s health.

We must work together to ensure the long-term protection of the Antarctic as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science, which supports our shared security and prosperity.  As such, we were especially pleased to sign a new Antarctic Cooperation Arrangement with Uruguay while we were in Montevideo, and to take the pulse of the one we have with Argentina while in Buenos Aires.

Chile, where we will visit next, is also a gateway nation to Antarctica and a close partner when it comes to protecting it, as well as our shared oceans – in fact, it was at the United Nation’s “Our Oceans Conference” that we last met with our Chilean Foreign Minister counterpart.

New Zealand’s relationship with Chile is a close and longstanding one.  Last year, we marked our 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It is a relationship that was sealed back in 1945 when we were both proud founding members of the United Nations, an institution where we have worked so long and so closely with Latin American partners.  And we will continue to do so.

We have highlighted in speeches at the United Nations that the United Nations’ system is facing unprecedented challenges that have built up over time. We urged the United Nations leadership and members to work seriously to achieve long overdue but necessary reforms that help to reduce the vulnerabilities the UN currently faces. Do more with less, and be effective, by focussing on its core purpose to improve its impact and delivery.

The next UN Secretary will have a significant role in carrying forward the all-important reform process.          

New Zealand is already supporting that effort through its co-leadership of the United Nations mandate review, and we will work closely with Latin American countries to ensure this aspect of United Nations reform is fit for purpose for another 80 years.

Another key success of our Latin American partnerships has been positioning ourselves at the vanguard of developing innovative future-focused trade architecture. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a great example of this. In the early 2000s, Chile and New Zealand led the creation of the high-quality and comprehensive P4 Agreement. It was then expanded into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (bringing onboard Mexico and Peru), and it has subsequently transformed into what now has global reach and influence with the accession of the United Kingdom, and others – including Costa Rica, Uruguay and Ecuador – seeking to do so.

Innovative leadership on trade rules gives small and medium-sized trading nations like New Zealand and many of our Latin American partners a larger, more influential voice in shaping the international trade environment that we all depend on.

Alongside CPTPP, we have successfully collaborated on a range of modern trade agreements.  The latest offering is the innovative Future of Investment Partnership, which we were pleased to launch last year alongside a range of partners, including Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Peru.

At a time when the international rules-based system is facing multiple challenges, open, rules-based trade is more important than ever, whether through CPTPP, Mercosur, or other platforms such as the Pacific Alliance – which New Zealand remains keen to join as an Associate Member when appropriate.  Open, rules-based trade is critical for our shared future prosperity.

A prosperous and resilient future

There is so much more we should be doing to grow our shared prosperity. For New Zealand, Latin America remains a region of significant untapped trade potential where we can and want to do more, including in terms of diversifying our trading base.

Latin America represents the world’s fourth-largest economy – US$6.34 trillion – almost twice that of India.  Latin America is home to 660 million people with high education levels; large middle classes; sizable youth populations; and an abundance of natural resources.

In fact, it holds half of the world’s biodiversity, a quarter of its forests, and a substantial share of minerals essential to the twin digital and low carbon transitions. The region’s sheer size and resources present significant opportunities for New Zealand businesses looking to diversify beyond the Indo-Pacific and traditional markets.

The New Zealand Government is aiming to double its export value by 2034.  And this is why we are joined on this Latin America Mission by a delegation of New Zealand business leaders.  Our time here also dovetails our Minister of Trade’s successful mission to São Paulo in October 2024, which saw us achieve a $100 million trade boost from the 13 arrangements signed. They covered a broad range of sectors, including technology, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, showcasing New Zealand’s diverse offerings and a growing regional interest in New Zealand expertise.

Here in Brazil, our volume of trade is not huge, but it is fresh and exciting. That’s because, in Brazil, New Zealand is not known as a source of high-volume primary goods, but instead as a high-quality technology exporter successfully engaging in areas where we can add real value, by raising productivity, efficiency and profitability for our Brazilian customers and partners.

And this brings me to the theme of the Innovation Showcase here today: Accelerate Brazil, with its focus on boosting commercial opportunities through greater engagement in the technology sector.

Among the success stories featured here today is Tait Communications.  Tait entered the Brazilian market back in 2006, and it has since become a strong regional player, which is challenging the market share of larger, US-based companies such as Motorola, to provide communication and security solutions in the mining and defence sectors. Over the years, Tait’s business has seen remarkable growth, and it has turned its headquarters here in Brazil into a regional hub for its operations in South America.

As demonstrated by some of the businesses here with us today, including Livestock Improvement Corporation and Gallaghers, there is also, we think, a great opportunity for further engagement in agritech.  Though New Zealand has previously been viewed as a competitor, there appears to be an increasing awareness of the value of collaborating with us in the agriculture sector – something which is backed by New Zealand’s record of helping to improve the productivity and sustainability of small, medium, and large dairy producers in the region.

By example, back in 2007, when we last visited, New Zealand also first invested in the Kiwi Group dairy farm in Goiás state.  The operation has since gone from strength to strength, showing how New Zealand pasture-based sustainable production systems can be adapted to Brazil’s climate conditions – and with great success. The farm is now the largest milk producer in the state and will shortly inaugurate a new modern farm.

There are also other similar Kiwi-Brazilian collaborative farming stories, including in Bahia. We hope we can do much more with Brazil and other partners across the region in the agricultural and other sectors, as the benefits of New Zealand agritech products and systems become better-known.

As demonstrated at this showcase, New Zealand is well-placed to provide a broad range of focused, smart solutions that enable increased productivity and efficiency, and therefore economic development, in sectors of strategic importance throughout the region, such as technology-driven service solutions that support export agriculture, the mining industry, and other sectors including IT, retail, healthcare and film.

On the film sector, we signed with the Brazilian Foreign Minister yesterday a Brazil – New Zealand Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement, which aligns with our Government’s 

“Going for Growth” economic strategy.  The agreement allows approved film and television projects to gain the status of official co-productions, entitling them to the benefits accorded to national productions in each of the co-producer’s countries. New Zealand’s co-production agreements with partners worldwide have delivered tangible benefits for our local film industry, and we have every expectation that this will be the case here too.

Indeed, tonight, we are pleased to have here with us an exemplar of what can be achieved in this area in the person of David Schurmann, a Brazilian New Zealander who produced and directed the film Little Secret – a film that Brazil submitted to the foreign-language category of the Oscars back in 2016.

New Zealand is eager to ensure that the implementation of the agreement is a success, and LANZBC – which is with us on this mission – will shortly host a film webinar, alongside the New Zealand Film Commission and Brazil’s ANCINE.

We were also pleased to sign yesterday a refreshed Education Cooperation Arrangement with Brazil. Education and research have long been an important strand of our relationship with Brazil and the broader region. All eight New Zealand universities are ranked in the top two percent globally and prior to COVID, we hosted some 25,000 students from the region each year to further their education and research.

While those numbers are still rebuilding, we are very keen to see that this vital exchange of our best and brightest youth continues to grow.

A safe, secure, and just future

Beyond our diplomatic and economic relations, we see value in shoring-up our relationships with Latin American partners to help protect and advance national, regional and international security. Collectively we are facing the most challenging strategic environment in 80 years. Geostrategic competition, armed conflict and the instability it causes, and transnational organised crime are all on the rise. No region is immune, although nor has there ever been better appreciation about how inter-connected our regions are.

Given this context, it is critical we actively contribute and work together towards global peacebuilding and security. And we have a track record of doing so in the past: from WW2, where the “Smoking Snakes” of Brazil fought courageously at Monte Castello in the north of Italy, whilst New Zealand troops did the same at Monte Cassino in the south; to today, where we have units working together in contemporary peacekeeping missions, such as with Uruguay and Colombia, and in the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai.

New Zealand calls for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to be upheld in Venezuela, and that all political prisoners and others arbitrarily detained to be released. The people of Venezuela must determine their country’s political future.

We have also been a steadfast supporter of Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement. While New Zealand was President of the UNSC, we co-sponsored resolution 2261, which established a UN political mission to monitor and verify the bilateral ceasefire between the Colombian Government and FARC. This has been followed by New Zealand supporting post-conflict demining efforts, including a contribution made last year to the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund for sustaining peace in Colombia, also focussing on demining efforts.

More recently, the New Zealand Government agreed a comprehensive plan to disrupt and prevent drug exports to New Zealand and Pacific Islands, with the Islands vulnerable to the dreadful poison of drugs. We’ve established new offshore liaison positions to increase collaboration with our international partners, because it’s one battle we cannot afford to lose.

Latin America countries share our concerns about transnational organised crime and are key partners in the fight against it.  We are pleased to announce that one of those new offshore liaison positions will be based in Bogotá with a regional remit, working alongside the Australian Federal Police, and embedded with the Colombia National Police.

A positive global future requires a Latin America that is safe, secure, active, and prosperous, and we look forward to strengthening our engagement with Brazil and other partners in the region on these important issues.

Closing Remarks

The key objective for our mission is to reinforce both bilaterally and across the region the value we are attaching to our Latin American partnerships.  No country or region on its own can satisfactorily or sustainably address the multiple challenges we face today.  We need to work hard to collaborate more politically, commercially, and through people-to-people links.

Indeed, promoting our growing people-to-people links remains one of the best ways we can deepen and broaden our collaboration. In that regard, New Zealand was pleased to support the launch of the new airlink between Auckland and Buenos Aires, and we hope more such direct linkages will be possible in the future.

The last 25 years has seen the welcome emergence of a steadily growing Latin American community in New Zealand. It now numbers more than 38,000 and they make an outsized contribution to the vibrancy and value of our country.  Many thousands have been supported to experience New Zealand through our working holiday schemes with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, which are hugely popular. Perhaps a few more of your footballers might like to join them.

We encourage young New Zealanders, too, to take up the opportunity to travel between our countries and forge life-long experiences and connections, which in turn will strengthen our bonds.

Muito obrigado,

muchas gracias,

thank you and kia ora mai tātou.

MIL OSI

Solid Fundamentals and Prudent Financial Management Positioned to Capture Opportunities

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MIL OSI

Recognized by Two Prestigious Institutions for the Group’s Outstanding ESG Governance and Sustainable Business Contributions

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Date:  20 November 2025

The new Seabird-Safe Fishing Toolkit is an online, interactive platform to help fishing companies understand how they can reduce their captures of seabirds on longline hooks set for tuna.

Included in the toolkit are maps showing where threatened seabirds occur, fishing practices to reduce the risk of fishers accidentally catching seabirds, and resources to help companies monitor and improve their seabird-safe fishing performance over time.

DOC’s Senior International Advisor Mandy Leathers is the project co-lead with Southern Seabirds Trust.

“We all have a responsibility to care for our vulnerable seabirds and address the pressures and dangers we put on them,” Mandy says.

“New Zealand is known as the seabird capital of the world, and many are taonga to Māori. They’re a part of our identity.

“But unfortunately, 90% of seabirds that breed in New Zealand are in trouble, with bycatch in high seas longline fisheries being a significant pressure. It’s estimated that 30,000-40,000 seabirds are caught every year in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The good news – there are proven ways to reduce seabird deaths in longline fishing, and these are included in the ‘one-stop-shop’ toolkit,” Mandy says.

Examples of seabird-safe practices include setting fishing lines at night, sinking baited hooks quickly using weights, using a bird scaring line or using a hookpod, which protects seabirds from getting hooked during line setting.

“New Zealand’s own surface longline fleet is now using these best practices and has digital monitoring. We are well placed to support international high seas fleets to follow suit.”

Mandy says the toolkit results from a truly collaborative effort with crucial input from the fishing industry and sustainability experts around the world.

The toolkit is a New Zealand-led project, developed through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group.

Mandy says even people who don’t fish can help ease the pressure on seabirds while they’re out naturing.

“Pick up plastics on the beach and other rubbish, and take part in trapping, because invasive predators are a huge problem at breeding sites. While preventing bycatch is our greatest priority, anything we can do to relieve the pressure on our seabirds will help.”

Contact

MIL OSI

Source: Woolworths NZ

MIL OSI

GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 November 2025 – On October 31, 2025, the “One Step One Realm” international integrated cultural tourism brand IP attended the APEC CEO SUMMIT.

“One Step One Realm” is an international integrated cultural tourism IP. Through a form of cultural tourism that integrates cultural and international political exchanges, it enhances the international image for partners from various fields in China and other Asian regions, attracts global attention, and builds a borderless cooperation platform. It facilitates two-way interaction, connecting business exchanges between China, Asian regions, and the international community. Its strategic partners include Hong Kong Gloria Group and Hong Kong Zhongjun Group, among others. Under the artificial intelligence (AI) theme of this APEC conference, the “One Step One Realm” international integrated cultural tourism IP will integrate cutting-edge AI and artificial intelligence technologies. It aims to use culture to break the ice and foster communication, empower the cultural, commercial, sports, and entertainment sectors through cultural tourism, and ultimately create a technological, modern, and sustainable international consumer activity IP.

During the APEC conference, Zhao Jun, the founder of “One Step One Realm,” was interviewed by CGTN as a representative of cultural enterprises. She stated that on the APEC platform, which is the core of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, and the practices of “One Step One Realm” serve as a vivid example of culture enabling open cooperation. She also emphasized that cultural exchange and shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific are significant driving forces for development, and “One Step One Realm” is committed to being both a participant and a promoter in this process.

Hashtag: #BeijingGalaxyInternationalCultureMedia

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has concluded his official visit to Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.  

On the final leg of the trip, Mr Luxon attended the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju where the regional economic situation was the focus. While in Korea, he attended an Indo-Pacific Leaders’ dinner and held bilateral discussions with partners, including the United States and Indonesia, to advance New Zealand’s trade and economic interests.

APEC’s 21 economies receive more than 70 percent of New Zealand’s exports; account for over half of global trade; and have 40 percent of the world’s population.

“It’s critical for New Zealand to play an active part in forums like APEC and the East Asia Summit so we can be heard,” Mr Luxon says.

“The Indo-Pacific region is full of potential and critical to New Zealand’s future prosperity. Our Government is deepening ties to realise that potential. That’s why it’s important to be in the room with other leaders, engaging on what more we can do together, and advocating to advance our interests. 

“That is how we create jobs and opportunities, and lift incomes for Kiwis back at home. That’s what these visits are all about.”

In Korea, the Prime Minister and President Lee Jae Myung launched the New Zealand-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), marking a new era for the bilateral relationship.

Days earlier in Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister concluded a CSP with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – a group of 11 nations with a collective population of 700 million people. 

“These agreements elevate New Zealand’s status, making it easier for Kiwis to do business in these parts of the world, and raise New Zealand’s profile as a partner for trade and investment,” Mr Luxon says. 

The Prime Minister arrives home on Sunday 2 November. 

MIL OSI

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay joined their Singaporean and Chilean counterparts today to launch negotiations for the Green Economy Partnership Agreement (GEPA) in the Republic of Korea.

“New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile have a proud history of shared leadership in developing innovative trade agreements to drive integration and economic growth in our region,” Mr McClay says.

“This agreement is an opportunity to work together to position our businesses to seize trade and investment opportunities in the growing global green economy, the value of which is estimated to more than quintuple to US$11 trillion by 2040.”

The agreement will boost trade and investment and will involve the partners working together on issues like environmental credit markets, sustainable finance and investment, green goods and services, sustainable agriculture and food systems and low and zero emissions fuel alternatives.

“New Zealand is committed to meeting its climate targets, and this innovative agreement will help drive our transition to a greener, more resilient economy,” Mr McClay says.

Negotiations are set to begin immediately and will continue into 2026. The launch closely follows the signature of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore on 10 October and the agreement will be a flagship initiative under the Climate Change and Green Economy, and Trade and Economics pillars.

It also comes after successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings and bilaterals this week.

“In an increasingly fragmented and unpredictable international trading landscape, APEC remains a leading platform for international dialogue on trade and economic issues.

“Trade with APEC economies constitutes around 75 per cent of New Zealand’s exports, and accounts for about 60 per cent of global GDP.

“Meeting with important trading partners presented a valuable opportunity to strengthen ties with key economic partners and advance the interests of New Zealand exporters.”

MIL OSI

Two significant investments were announced during the visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Malaysia this week, in the areas of renewable energy infrastructure and tourism. 

 Malaysian-headquartered company Yinson Renewables announced its plans to invest in New Zealand with a pipeline of projects expected to total circa 1GW of renewable energy.  

 Yinson has been developing a pipeline of wind projects in New Zealand over the past four years.  Invest New Zealand, the New Zealand Government’s investment attraction agency, has been supporting Yinson. 

 “This investment shows the message that New Zealand is open for business is being heard,” Mr Luxon says.

 A significant investment into New Zealand’s tourism infrastructure was also confirmed on Tuesday by Malaysian infrastructure conglomerate YTL Corporation Berhad. YTL Hotels has acquired the 225-room Hotel Indigo in Auckland in a $160m deal, its first hotel investment in New Zealand.  The agreement is the second-largest hotel transaction in New Zealand this year.  

 Mr Luxon says this solidifies YTL Hotels’ long-term commitment to the region’s tourism and hospitality sector and signals confidence in New Zealand’s visitor economy. 

 Both investments have received approvals from New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Office.

 “These investments demonstrate that New Zealand is seen as a credible investment destination by high-quality global investors, and it is a message I deliver in parallel to the political relationship building on my trips overseas,” Mr Luxon says. 

 The Prime Minister has just concluded a three-day visit to Malaysia, where he engaged in high-level talks on geo-political issues in the Indo-Pacific region, and advanced New Zealand’s business goals.

 “It’s critical for New Zealand to play an active part in regional settings like the East Asia Summit (EAS), where we can be heard and promote our interests,” Mr Luxon says. 

 The 19-member EAS meets annually and brings together key players in the region including the United States, China and India. 

 During a 50th anniversary ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit, the Prime Minister established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with his ASEAN counterparts.  

 “During my visit to Kuala Lumpur, I met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and a series of other Southeast Asian leaders.  

 “As well as witnessing the signing of the two investment deals that will help us build the infrastructure we need, grow businesses, and put more money in Kiwis’ pockets, we also agreed a halal arrangement with Malaysia to boost our exports.”

 The Prime Minister is now in the Republic of Korea for APEC

MIL OSI

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Malaysia and to the Republic of Korea from Sunday for high-level talks aimed at strengthening New Zealand’s ties across the Indo-Pacific.

“Next week, I’ll attend both the East Asia Summit and APEC with the goal of deepening our relationships with regional leaders and unlocking new opportunities for New Zealand,” Mr Luxon says.

“New Zealand’s security and prosperity go hand-in-hand, a situation which plays out profoundly in the Indo-Pacific. 

“It’s also the world’s most economically dynamic region with nine of our top ten trading partners in the Indo-Pacific. 

“That’s why building strong, effective partnerships across the region is a top priority for this government.”

Prime Minister Luxon will attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Korea – two influential forums that together represent around 60 per cent of the global economy and over 70 per cent of New Zealand’s international trade.

In Malaysia, Mr Luxon will also co-host a leaders’ summit with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries: the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit. He will also host events to mark a milestone 50 years of dialogue relations between New Zealand and ASEAN.  

Minister of State for Trade and Investment Hon Nicola Grigg will accompany the Prime Minister to Malaysia. Minister for Customs Hon Casey Costello and Minister for Trade and Investment Hon Todd McClay will accompany him in Korea.

MIL OSI

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2025 – Sun Group officially launched Sun PhuQuoc Airways at a ceremony in Hanoi on October 15, marking the debut of Vietnam’s first ‘resort airline’ model, designed to seamlessly connect Phu Quoc with travellers around the world.