China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), established in May 1952, is the largest foreign trade and investment promotion agency in China. Affiliated to CCPIT since 1988, the China Chamber of International Commerce(CCOIC) is one of the most influential business associations in China with 301,000 member enterprises.
Supported and backed by the Government CCPIT has been instrumental in developing trade between China and New Zealand, it is considered a key organization with a network of offices in all provinces and major cities throughout China and offering access to companies and contacts across a range of business sectors.
CCPIT’s relationship with New Zealand dates back to the late 1950s through contact with Rewi Alley and Vic Percival.
CCPIT for many years has assisted with travel arrangements and meetings for NZ business people visiting China particularly during the early period following the establishment of diplomatic relations and also organized regular trade missions to New Zealand – often working with the New Zealand China Trade Association (NZCTA).
In 1988 CCPIT recognized overseas contributions to China’s trade development and three members of NZCTA – Stan Stanworth (NZ Import-Export Corp), David Oram (Bank of New Zealand) and Vic Percival were made honorary members of CCPIT in a ceremony held in Wellington.
In May 2002 Percival was invited as a guest of honor to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the founding of CCPIT.
In 2014, CCPIT and NZCTA signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the China New Zealand Joint Business Council. When Premier Li Keqiang visited New Zealand in March 2017. CCPIT/CCOIC organized a business forum and established the bilateral mechanism of China New Zealand Business Forum with NZCTA. Since then, CCOIC has successfully held four sessions of Forum from 2017 to 2021 – aiming to serve the development strategy of China’s foreign trade and economy, as well as promote exchanges and cooperation in the business community between China and New Zealand.
In the future, CCOIC will continue to work with it’s New Zealand partners to help enterprises of both country seize new opportunities on the basis of the protocols in upgraded free trade agreement (FTA) and make positive contributions to promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand in the new era.