China-New Zealand people-to-people exchange on the rise

People-to-people exchange between China and New Zealand has been on the rise in recent years. CRI's Min Rui has more.

Zhang Luwen is a senior student at Massey University in Wellington. She says studying in New Zealand has been a wise move.

"I came to New Zealand four year ago. I'm not from a super-rich family, so I don't want my parents to spend big on my education. New Zealand is quite affordable for middle-class Chinese people. I think the lifestyle here is different from home, it's slow and natural, and gives you that feeling of security, so you could study and focus on it."

Last year, China became the largest source of international students in New Zealand, taking up 27-percent of all international students.

The good environment and tranquility of the oceanic country also attracted a record number of tourists from China. 

Last year, more than 400-thousand Chinese tourists visited New Zealand, spending some 7 million U.S. dollars in the country and surrounding islands.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is the second largest source country of visitors to New Zealand, after Australia. 

Meanwhile, many New Zealanders are visiting China. Tom Kong, from Wellington City Council, says in recent years, more Kiwis have been sampling Chinese culture.

"I think economically trade deals promoted exchanges, and at the same time, they are taking a liking to Chinese culture. I know some kiwis who have been to China, not only travel, but are also working as teachers, journalists, and in other sectors. They like to travel around the world, and lots of them are interested in going to China. Some of them visit China, come back, and show me pictures of the Palace Museum, and so on. They are very happy to find the Chinese culture so different from theirs. It's just not the same as traveling to New York or to European cities."

Kong, as a Chinese migrant to New Zealand, has also witnessed a rise in the number of migrants from China in the past decade.

Former Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Chen Mingming says, hard-working Chinese migrants are contributing to the local economy.

"Chinese immigrants have injected vitality into the New Zealand economy by providing capital, skills that are needed for the growth of the New Zealand economy. I think it's a good thing for New Zealand to accept Chinese immigrants."

The largest Chinese communities are to be found in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin, with only a quarter of the Chinese population in New Zealand were actually born there.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.