The upgraded protocol aims at further opening the two sides’ markets for goods, services, investment, and other fields, while optimizing rules to promote trade facilitation. It has included four new categories, namely “e-commerce”, “competition policy”, “government procurement”, and “the environment and trade”, to meet the demand from development of modern economy and trade.

The upgraded protocol has improved the quality and efficiency of bilateral trade relations on the basis of the China-New Zealand FTA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. It will help deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields between the two sides, release the dividends of high-level opening up, promote bilateral trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and constantly enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

China signed an FTA with New Zealand in April 7, 2008, which came into force in October 1 the same year. The two sides started negotiations on the upgrade in November, 2016, and signed the upgraded protocol in January 26, 2021.