China and New Zealand have agreed to advance negotiations on a negative list for services trade under their free trade agreement, the Chinese commerce ministry said on June 11. The 34th meeting of the bilateral Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation was held in Beijing on June 5.

The 34th China-New Zealand Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation meeting resulted in a joint push to negotiate a negative list for services trade under the free trade agreement. This signals deeper bilateral relations following tariff reductions on goods trade. New Zealand's services sector accounts for about 70% of GDP, yet services exports to China remain limited due to market access restrictions in education, tourism and professional services.

A negative list approach would improve policy transparency and create predictable access for small and medium-sized enterprises in legal services, architectural design and environmental consulting. Under RCEP, China already uses negative lists with several members, so New Zealand needs to ensure its strengths — such as online education, aged care and high-value tourism — receive treatment no less favourable than competitors. The negotiations have just begun; businesses can assess how their services align with China's domestic consumption upgrades.

The joint committee mechanism also offers a regular channel to resolve access barriers.

Keywords: Ministry of Commerce, New Zealand, Joint Committee on Economic and Trade, He Yadong, free trade agreement, services trade, negative list, bilateral economic and trade cooperation

商务部发言人何亚东6月11日称，6月5日第34届中新经贸联委会在京召开，双方同意推进自贸协定服务贸易负面清单谈判。

中国与新西兰近日召开第34届经贸联委会，同意推动自贸协定服务贸易负面清单谈判，这是继货物贸易关税减让后双边关系深化的新信号。新西兰服务业占GDP约70%，但对中国服务出口比重仍小，教育、旅游和专业服务等领域面临市场准入限制。负面清单模式将提升政策透明度，为法律服务、建筑设计、环保咨询等中小企业创造可预期的准入路径。

另一方面，RCEP框架下中国已对多个成员采用负面清单，新西兰需确保自身优势领域获得不低于竞争者的待遇，尤其在在线教育、老年护理和高附加值旅游体验等细分市场。谈判刚启动，企业可提前审视自身服务与国内消费升级的匹配度，联委会机制也为后续解决准入障碍提供了定期磋商通道。

关键词: 商务部, 新西兰, 经贸联委会, 何亚东, 自贸协定, 服务贸易, 负面清单, 双边经贸合作

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Source: Securities Times Online