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I'm Ding Han in Beijing.
Coming up, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on an official visit to China to strengthen trade ties.
India's foreign minister is making his first trip to China in five years to further improve the bilateral ties.
EU delays retaliatory trade tariffs against the United States.
And New Zealand is aiming to double the country's foreign international education market by the year 2034.
To listen to this episode again or to catch up on our previous episodes, you can download our podcast by searching World Today.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a week -long visit to China to shore up trade relations between the two countries.
Upon his arrival on Saturday, the Prime Minister said he is leading a very large business delegation which points to the importance of the economic ties between China and Australia.
It is Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's second trip to China since his Labour Party government was first elected in 2022.
The party was re -elected in May this year with an increased majority.
majority. So joining us now on the line is Dr. Joseph Syracusa, professor of global futures with Curtin University in Australia.
Thank you very much for joining us today, Professor Syracusa.
After Albanese was re -elected in May this year, we know he has paid a trip to Indonesia and then to Europe.
He has also attended a G7 summit in Canada.
Now he is here in China.
What do you make of the timing of his trip to China this time?
Well, I think it's very important.
I mean, Australians on all sides recognize that China is Australia's largest trading partner and investments as well.
So, you know, it's important to deal with your economic partners.
I mean, foreign economic policy is part of diplomacy and foreign relations.
So I think Albanese knows exactly what he's doing.
Hmm. Now, Dr. Warwick McKibin, an economics professor with Australian National University and also a well -recognized authority on like economic modeling.
He recently called on Australia to look at U .S. President Donald Trump's tariff disruptions as an opportunity to expand trade with Australia's own trading partners.
So, with that in mind, do you see President Trump's trade policy as an opportunity to expand trade between Australia and China?
Oh, absolutely. In fact, this relates to almost all the other areas in which Donald Trump has disrupted trade through his tariffs.
tariffs. I mean, when tariffs are put on a country without any particular good reason, then the only thing that country can do is expand its production and look for new markets.
And so Australia is turning to an old friend here that is the Chinese market to increase its goods and services.
This is exactly what they are doing.
Now, during the 2008 global financial crisis, Australia was virtually the only Western economy that avoided an economic recession, largely thanks to its exports to the Chinese market at the time.
So today, what do you think Australia's trade and economic ties with China mean to Australia?
Well, I mean, it's able to insulate Australia from its own disruptions or recession, etc. I mean, Australia's top five exports to China, including iron ore, natural gas and gold and the like, are very, very important.
And these account for billions of dollars.
I remember several years ago, the three largest Australian exports were iron ore, coal, and Chinese or international education, international students.
So these are all very, very important categories.
And, you know, Australia is a nation of 27 million people.
It needs this kind of economic blood flow, so to speak, and it's very important.
And I think a lot of Australians think very hard about its role in Asia and its role with China.
I mean, Australia has China as its major trading partner.
I mean, the United States is its major military partner.
So, you know, the Australians like to divide their time and attention.
I mean, economics is very important.
Military cooperation and deterrence is very important.
But at the end of the day, unless you're selling your goods and services, it's very hard to sustain the lifestyle in Australia.
So, the Albanese government, a good Labor government and the tradition has turned to China to return these pre -COVID figures.
Figures before COVID were very, very high.
COVID, of course, knocked it around.
And there were some problems with Australian and Chinese relations, which are back on an an even keel.
And I suppose that is the essence of what Mr. Albanese is doing in China in these five or six days, is try to put Chinese and Australian trade and investment on an even keel.
Now, during his first term in office, he already paid an official visit to China when he attended a Shanghai -based annual high -level import expo.
Many people would say that that trip was kind of ice -breaking, but this time it's more like cementing the existing fruits.
What is your observation, Professor?
Yeah, I think the prime minister of Australia is trying to reinforce the trade relationship with China to say he wants to keep it on an even keel.
He wants to return it to pre -COVID levels, and he's able to do that through more iron ore and natural gas and, of course, tourism and international students.
in Shanghai which we know is one of the three cities in China visited by Albanese this time around in Shanghai Albanese has overseen the signing of a deal between Chinese online trip giant trip .com and this Australian government agency Tourism Australia and this deal is aimed at attracting more Chinese tourists to Australia so realistically Basically, Professor, how can Australia attract more Chinese tourists?
Well, before COVID, the Chinese traveler constituted the number one category of international visitors to Australia.
Australia is a very large place, five million square miles.
And like much of China, it's picture, postcard beautiful and much to see and do.
It has a lot of natural history and geography and the rest of it.
And I think last year, the Chinese visitors amounted to about 840 ,000 visitors.
He's trying to get it back up to those pre -COVID levels.
You know, when the Chinese visitor comes here, he comes to a very large Chinese community as well.
There is a very large Chinese diaspora in Australia.
Chinese visitors feel very comfortable here.
Their international students are very comfortable here.
And so Albanese is going after the tourism dollar.
Now, so when the tourist goes to a foreign country, he or she spends a lot of money on housing and transportation, food and services.
I mean, it's very important for a lot of the industries here.
And so Albanese is not only trying to increase trade and investment, but he's trying to regain those high figures.
years. And Australia is a very convenient destination for the Chinese visitor.
It's only 5 ,000 miles away.
It's not that far. And so they can come here and see the country for a week, two, three weeks, something like that, or visit relatives.
It's a very comfortable destination for the Chinese.
When we talk about security issues, including regional security for the Asian Pacific region, for example, For example, it seems there is a kind of continuation to be the case that Beijing and Canberra don't really see eye to eye with each other.
For example, Australia has forged a quite close security ties, not only with the United States, but but also with an Asian ally of the United States, the Philippines.
and currently we know the the tension between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea is very eye -catching over the past one year or so over the past two years actually so with that in mind do you think Albanese can walk a fine line between economic self -interest of Australia and Australia's strategic resolve yes I think he can I think he's trying to do that it right now.
Well, it's been very difficult for the Albanese government to deal with the United States for the past six months.
The United States has become more demanding of Australia.
Now, Australia, America has joint facilities here and a number of things that they do together.
And while Australia has common knowledge of what the Americans do on Australian soil, oil and there is no concurrence really, that is, it's a very independent country.
And while it may look close in terms of AUKUS and nuclear powered submarines, and the like, I mean, Australians are very jealous of their sovereignty.
They don't want to be dragged into anything.
They want to be equidistant between any potential conflict between China and the United States, as they should be, as a matter of fact.
And right now, the Albanese government doesn't see any smoking gun or major issue with Chinese foreign policy, whereas the American government, for domestic reasons, has focused on Chinese policy as the number one threat to American national security.
The Australian government, the Labor government isn't buying that story.
And in recent days, as you know, the Defense Department spokesman for Undersecretary of Defense, Elbridge Colby has suggested, you know, where does Australia stand in the event of a conflict over Taiwan?
Australia has no conflict with China over Taiwan.
It subscribes more to the American Shanghai communique of February 1972 than the Americans do.
They're not going to get involved in this kind of thing.
And there's also geography here.
I mean, Taiwan is 81 miles to the Chinese mainland.
It's 5 ,600 miles from Canberra to the Chinese mainland.
I mean, Australia is not interested in getting involved in the internal politics of China.
So it's trying to keep the Americans happy, while at the same time, trying to keep them at bay in terms of what some Americans want Australia to do in the future.
And Australia, I think, has very bravely distanced itself from American policy on China in many, many respects.
But Albanese is not interested in supporting American military policy.
Carte blanche. He wants to be able to choose down the road which side the United States, which side Australia would be on in the event of any conflict over anything.
But I think he's doing a very good job of sort of maintaining equidistance between the the demands of the American Pentagon and Australia's economic needs.
So it's a bit of a balancing act.
And I must say, I've been here 53 years.
I think he's doing a pretty good job of it.
OK, hopefully you're right.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Dr. Joseph Syracusa, professor of global futures with Carding University in Australia.
Coming up, India's foreign minister is making his first trip to China in five years to further strengthen bilateral ties.
This is World Today, stay tuned.
You are listening to World Today, I'm Ding Han in Beijing.
Indian Foreign Minister S.
Jai Shankar is on a two -day official visit to China to attend a foreign minister's meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Jai Shankar arrived in China on Monday, his first trip to the country in five years.
Ties between China and India have warmed after President Xi Jinping held discussion and talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in the city of Kazan, Russia sometime last year.
Jaishanka has expressed the confidence that discussions during his visits this time around will maintain that very positive trajectory.
He has also voiced the support for China's Shanghai Cooperation Organization presidency.
presidency. So joining us now on the line is Dr. Rong Ying, Chair Professor at the School of International Studies, Sichuan University.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Yes. Okay, thank you.
So first of all, are you optimistic that the current trajectory in the China -India relationship will continue?
If one looks at the trajectory of the past things, the important meeting between President Xi and from Mr. Modi in Kazakhstan back in October, which reached a very important consensus on how to bring the relationship back.
back. And one of the major sort of a point of consensus is the resumption of various and of a dialogue.
And in particular, I think the foreign minister now.
So the past 80 months, we have seen not only the resumption of various kind of ministerial dialogues.
And also most And most importantly, I think, finally, we are having the foreign ministers visit, which is very much important as we know.
And of course, it also coincides with the foreign ministers meeting of SCO, which I think again, that was one of the points of consensus when President Xi and Prime Minister is the body met as China is the chair of this year.
Now, the Indian foreign minister has called the current international situation, quote -unquote, complex. So if that's the case, what do you make of the significance of holding open dialogue or consultation between China and India?
Well, of course, first and foremost, the international situation is complex and fluid.
That makes it even more necessary and important for China and India.
The two large developing countries which live in proximity as close neighbors to strengthen dialogue, to strengthen strategic communication, to improve mutual trust and explore cooperation, win -win cooperation.
And equally important is, of course, to support each other under the framework and for better co -ordination and multilateral fora like SCO, BRICS, G20 and others.
So I thought that this is again, very much a kind of occasion for the meeting.
But most importantly, make the communications like that 42 -40 minutes even more important and even more significant.
Now, talking about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, what do you think India could contribute to the SCO really during China's presidency of the organization?
Certainly, we hope that India would very much play an important role, positive constructive role in bringing not only implementing following through the Shanghai Spirit, and most importantly, I think to working together with China and other members of CIO to implement the Shanghai high cooperation agenda remember i think as we said that india has pledged that it would support china's presidency and most importantly i think as we have seen shanghai cooperation organization has now becoming a very important regional uh organization so with international global significance i think being a member
of seo definitely helps india not only increase increased international profile, but also I think helps in maintaining pursuit of interest. So this is very much important.
I hope that hopefully India will follow the goal with the ICO, most importantly the Sprint, the Shanghai Sprint, and working together to ensure that ICO will continue to be effective effective and continue to play a role, not only in terms of security and the political field, but equally important in trade, investment, and the civilizational dialogue.
By the way, do you see any possibility, do you see any room for China and India to respond to certain countries' bullying, trade practices, or trade policy in a sort of coordinated manner?
or well i think all of us i mean certainly india and china are kind of victims particularly i think global cells are victims of that u .s the trade global trade war and and india is now as we know that they've had a very difficult time uh having of negotiations with the shop at that and I wish them good luck.
But having said that, I think not only the bilateral level, most importantly I think China and India shares great interest in terms of maintaining free trade and the global multilateral trading system based on multilateralism and free trade.
This is something, I think, what makes the relationship between China and India and global South important.
And China has, I don't think, has any problem for bilateral talks India is having.
But again, as China has always made clear, that kind of negotiation talks should be pursued, not the expenses of the third parties or by undercutting and demanding the third parties.
So good luck for India working together, hopefully, I think, for the sake of the integrity of multilateral trading system, but also the interest of Global South as a whole.
So the final question before we let you go, Dr. Zhong, as you observe China -India ties, do you see any domestic factor over there in India or any third -party factor that could potentially have an impact on China -India bilateral ties in the future?
Well, China and India are close neighbors.
So definitely what is happening at home, the domestic dynamics has a very important bearing on the trajectory of the course of the relationship.
And I think the fact that the two countries living as neighbors, which has an unresolved boundary dispute does not mean the relationship should be hijacked or undermined by that.
As a matter of fact, the past experience, I mean, the history tells that if that relationship is properly managed without sort of interfere the overall relationship, I think China and India can set a huge potential for elitists for China -India to pursue their win -win cooperation.
What is, of course, most importantly that the two sides would have to pursue the relation from a strategic long -term perspective.
The other question, the third party factor is always there, but seeing again, the China India relationship is not targeted, so the party.
So definitely I think neither side want to see the third party would undermine their relationship.
And I believe that we have enough wisdom and experience to manage the interferences of these factors and for the stable and steady relationship that we have seen.
Thank you very much. That was Dr. Rongying, Chair Professor from the School of International Studies, Sichuan University.
We have just to talk about the latest developments whereby the Indian Foreign Minister S.
Jai Shankar is on a two -day official visit to China to attend a foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
We have talked about the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization within the framework of the China -India bilateral relationship and whether the current very positive trajectory in terms of the bilateral ties will continue.
But going Going forward, we will keep observing on these very very important questions.
Coming up, China's exports growth beats expectations in June as shipments to non -US markets grow.
The European Union delays retaliatory trade tariffs against the United States You are listening to World Today, to listen to this episode again or to catch up on previous episodes, you can download our podcast by searching World -Today.
today. I'm Ding Heng in Beijing, we'll be back after a short break.
You're back with World Today, I'm Ding Heng in Beijing.
China's exports world's beat expectations in June driven by robust shipments to non -US markets.
Exports dropped by 5 .8 % in June in US dollar terms from a year earlier.
Imports in the meantime climbed by 1 .1 % from a year earlier, marking the first time that imports have grown this year.
And by the way, China's exports to the United States dropped for a third consecutive month.
Shipments to Southeast Asian countries surged by 16 .8%, and those to the European Union countries dropped by 7 .6%.
So for more analysis on these latest official figures, joining us now on the line is Dr. Zhou Mi from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Thank you. So first of all, why do you think China's exports growth has beaten expectation in June?
Some people say it was driven by robust shipments to U .S. markets, but some say it was because of this temporary, let's say, ceasefire or choose in terms of the trade war between the United States and China.
What is your take? take well we know that china's uh export is a very huge uh you know the volume uh is that such a candle for time so when we're looking many people are looking at the data they find that it is so huge maybe they anticipate that the number cannot even going up because it's so huge but i agree with you know both opinions have some reasons i think they are a possible reason for for the growth.
First of all, we're looking at the trade.
Trade actually is a collective action by so many individual enterprises and stakeholders.
So the collective efforts will change the trend of these activities.
Well, we know that trade includes two aspects.
One is the capabilities of doing trade and another is the abilities of doing that.
So, the cost of doing trade it's very important for the trade to happen when China is trying to do more international trade like the export to other countries they have to find some more stable or lower tariff areas and with a much friendly environment so many Chinese exporters are trying to do absolute to those 9 us market well from another direction we know it is also true that China and the United States we are the first two trading partners in the world, so the trade between our two countries are still huge.
The trillions have made it possible for the enterprises to pick up what they have lost in the first several months because of the very high tariffs.
So they want to grasp the opportunities for the kind of of suspensions about, you know, the trade negotiation or the higher tariffs and trying to export more things to the U .S. counterparties.
Well, it is also true for U .S. side, the logistics, the retailers and wholesalers.
They really want to get more as a stock to prepare for the future, maybe higher tariffs.
Now, in a bigger picture sense, Dr. Jomi, in the first half of 2025, 2025, China's exports jumped by 5 .9 % from a year earlier.
Do you think this particular figure can tell us that somehow China's exports is capable or are capable of remaining resilient in the face of U .S. tariffs or threats of imposing U .S. tariffs?
Why or why not? Definitely.
I think that the trade of China's international trading goods is huge.
We have reached the number of 20 trillion RMB for the first time.
I think it's such a huge number.
The huge number means that there are so many diversities of trade channels or supply chains.
We are well connected with the world with so many different channels.
So I think that And that is really helpful for us to absorb the possible impacts coming from any factors like the fluctuation of the international commodity prices or even the geopolitical tensions.
It is possible for us to find the alternative markets or trying to make the supply chains more flexible.
So the trade with China means more stabilities, more certain future.
So I think that is the reason why many trading partners want to keep the trade with China and even increase their trade with China because we are able to provide them with a better and more compatible product of the different signs according to their demands.
Now, in terms of the trade between China and the United States, There is now a Geneva agreement and a London framework following several rounds of negotiations between Beijing and Washington.
So how do you think China -U .S. trade is likely to shape China's overall foreign trade pattern for the second half of 2025?
I think that may be still very important for us.
I think that is always our principle that bilateral trade between our two countries are complementary and benefits both sides.
So, we know that, generally speaking, the second half of this year will have a much stronger trade compared with the first half because we have many important holidays, Christmas, New Year, and I think that is helpful for the people to buy more things, especially from the United States.
when the people are going to celebrate their holidays, like the Thanksgivings or other holidays, they want to give the gifts to their friends.
And also, they need to enjoy the leisure time.
I think that in the past, China is definitely one of the most important choices of import.
But now we are seeing that the fluctuation of the tariffs may still pose some of these uncertainties to the trade.
But it matters that the market still needs more certainty between our two countries.
Although the number has continuously been dropping in the previous several months, I still have some hope that we can continue with our partners from the United States with the traditional parts and also trying to do more to something of the new energy or other kind of innovative products.
that. Now, as I said earlier in my introduction part, the shipments of Chinese goods to Southeast Asian countries are surging very quickly, including the most recent months of June.
Now, we know Asian countries have been hit hard by President Donald Trump's recently announced threat of tariffs.
So are there signs that by targeting those Asian countries, especially Southeast Asian countries, Washington is actually in a kind of indirect manner targeting China's exports?
Well, in my understanding, that may be not the case.
Just, you know, use these strategies to surrender or trying to have a title and pressure on China, because I think that the economic structure or industries structure of China and ASEAN countries are similar.
So we exported a lot of things, similar things to the United States.
When they are putting more tariffs on their imports and export like with the trade balance, they also using the numbers of the trade balance with ASEAN countries.
So, in this regard, I would say that it is because of the international cooperation by the different stage of the supply chains, instead of just from the geopolitical reasons.
And actually, when you are looking at the result, maybe we have the impression that United States trying also to block the trade from the ASEAN country.
Well, I think that is also posing many costs to them, like when they are going to put some tariffs on the import of the solar panels from Southeast Asia, they suffer from the scarce off and not enough supply of those products.
So, in this regard, I would say that the trade with the countries, no matter from China and also from other countries is helpful for U .S. to stabilize its inflation and to provide the enterprises with better intermediate products and raw materials.
Very, very briefly, the final question, over a longer term, what factors could possibly sustain China's resilience in terms of foreign trade?
Well I think that stability policies, of the policies and innovative ways of doing business.
We should take care of the demands specifically from the importer of other countries and also trying to have a win -win situation by better and more strengthen of the corporation and supply chains between us.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Dr. Zhou Ming, joining us from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Coming up, EU delays retaliatory trade tariffs against the United States.
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The European Union has delayed its retaliatory tariffs on on U .S. goods in the hope of reaching a trade deal with Washington by the end of this month.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the delay after U .S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs of 30 % on goods from the European Union set to take effect on August 1st. The EU is, of course, representing America's biggest trading partner.
Its countermeasures were originally scheduled to start on Tuesday this week.
So for more, my colleague Xu Yaowen spoke with Harvey Zoldan, former vice president of the ABC TV network and a senior fellow of the Center for China and Globalization.
The EU has delayed its retaliatory tariffs on U .S. goods until August 1st. On the surface, this seems like it's buying time for negotiations, but some view it as a compromise in the face of Trump's 30 percent tariff threat.
threats. What's your assessment of this delay in terms of the EU's negotiating position?
The EU is a complicated political entity that's immature and it's still feeling its way.
I think that given this fact, there are many internal divisions and the delay isn't only to allow more time to negotiate with Trump, but also to find some internal consensus, especially especially between Germany, who seeks accommodation with the U .S. and France that favors a hard line.
The EU, though, is America's largest training partner with almost two trillion dollars in annual trade.
And that's not insignificant.
It's not what we call chump change.
And it gives the EU lots of leverage.
The EU is also prepared to impose more than 70 billion euros in counter countermeasures on U .S. goods.
And knowing how negotiable Trump can be and how he backs down and he cacos, I think that there's possibility of reaching some accommodation in the couple weeks that we have till the deadline.
We have seen indications that the EU is exploring cooperation with other countries like Canada and Japan to counter the U .S. tariffs.
How effective do you think this kind of clustering for warmth strategy could be?
And is there any possibility that such tariff coordination could actually lead to a new trade partnership among Pacific economies?
Yeah, I think there's some possibility, but it's going to take a lot of work.
By joining forces, Versus the EU, Canada, and Japan can show a more or less united front in trade negotiations, and that would make it harder for the U .S. to leverage its divide and conquer tactics.
Also, it seems that coordinating retaliatory tariffs and trade policies can increase the economic cost to the U .S., and that would potentially pressure Washington to reconsider consider or to moderate its tariff regime.
So I think more cooperation can help the participating countries redirect trade flows and investments among themselves, lessening their reliance on the U .S. market if that's necessary.
But on the other hand, while these economies share concerns about U .S. tariffs, their specific trade interests and vulnerabilities differ.
And that can actually complicate deep coordination or joint actions.
Well, you just mentioned that countries like France and Germany, they have been vocal about their opposition to Trump's trade policy.
So do you think there is full unity within the EU on how to handle the trade tensions?
Or are we seeing divisions within the bloc itself?
There are going to be divisions in the EU because the EU is relatively new.
It's composed of large and small states.
They have different economic and different national interests.
And because of that, it is not going to be easy to reach consensus.
census. The EU is still very much a work in progress.
I believe that President Trump and his team knows that and they're going to try to create divisions wherever they can.
Well, earlier, the German vice chancellor and finance minister said that Trump's tariffs policy will only bring losers.
And he argued that it poses the threat to the U .S. economy just as as much as it hurts European businesses.
So what's your take on his remarks?
And how do you see the long term economic impact of these tariffs on both sides?
He has this weird policy on tariffs.
He thinks they're a tool, the ultimate tool for managing economic and in fact political relations.
And no credible economist agrees with him.
So, now, with these tariffs, if they come into force, both sides are going to lose.
But the US itself will face higher inflation and consumer costs, while Europe, especially export -driven economies like Germany, are going to suffer deeper sectoral shocks and GDP hits.
And some economic models actually suggest that the U .S. is the absolute GDP loss could be larger.
Europe's export dependent industries and its regional economies like here in Austria are the ones who are going to be most affected.
Actually, last week, the White House has also sent a letter to Canada threatening to impose the 35 percent tariff and has now proposed the tariff conditions on 24 countries, including the EU, which is composed of 27 countries.
So to what extent do you think the U .S. will actually implement the 30 percent tariff threat on August 1st?
U .S. tariff threats are classic Trump and are primarily a negotiating tactic that's aim to squeeze partners like the EU and Canada into making concessions before the August 1st deadline.
However, it's really sad and it's pretty clear that the scale and consistency of these threats do indicate a broader policy shift towards protectionism.
There's a high chance the tariffs will be implemented if no deals are reached, but last minute adjustments or delays are possible, especially if negotiations progress or economic backlash appears too severe.
So I think we have to conclude that the situation is highly unstable and changeable.
And lastly, Harvey, so if the U .S. and the EU do reach a deal by August 1st, what kind of trade agreement would you envision?
I think given Trump's changing his mind faster than a Sichuan mask changer changes masks, that it's highly unlikely that if any deal is reached, that it would stick for a long time.
We know that Trump is very mercurial and we know that he does not stay with positions that he takes.
And this makes it very, very difficult to keep agreements.
So I say if an agreement is reached, it's unlikely to have a very long life.
Harvey Zeldin, former vice president of ABC TV Network, talking with my colleague Xu Yaowen.
coming up New Zealand aims to double the country's foreign international education market by 2034 this is World Today stay tuned hello my name is Alessandro Golombievs Teixeira I'm a professor of public policy management at Tsinghua University in Beijing I am a great listener of the world today in my opinion the world today is one of the best China radio programs In the World Today, we can get the best news and analysis in what is happening now in the world.
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I'm Ding Han in Beijing.
New Zealand has announced the plans to double its international education market by 2034.
The announcement comes as popular international student destinations like Australia and the United States are tightening their own student visa rules.
New Zealand's Education Minister Eric Stanford says enrollments have been rising since the year 2023, noting that the government wants to supercharge that growth track.
And the government is going to raise part -time work limits for eligible international students from 20 to 25 hours and expand post -study work rights for more students from exchange and study abroad programs. So joining us now in the studio is my colleague Song Rui Xin.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
So first of all, Rui Xin, can you share with us more information with regard to New Zealand's specific target for its international education market?
What are the key figures behind this arguably very ambitious goal?
Sure. Like New Zealand's international education market is currently worth 3 .6 billion New Zealand dollars to the economy.
And the government, I mean, the government wants to see international student enrollment grow from over 83 ,000 in 2024 to 105 ,000 in 2027 and 119 ,000 by 2034 and double its value to the economy.
The government currently is doing a few things to make it happen, like letting international students work more hours during their studies, like you've mentioned, 20 hours, 25 hours a week instead of 20, and making visa process smoother.
So basically, they want New Zealand to be seen as a top, safe and welcoming spot where students get great education and opportunities.
And they are backing that up with policies to make it easier and more attractive for students to come.
So given those targets, what do you think could be some of the main reasons driving New Zealand to pursue such rapid growth?
growth? Well, New Zealand is currently easing its visa rules to attract more foreign investors hoping to give its economy a boost. So the centre -right government first hinted at these changes back in January this year, and in April, they followed through with a major update to the rules.
So first of all, we have to say it can help to diversify the economy, like New Zealand can't rely on just agriculture or tourism forever.
I mean, international education is a smart and knowledge -based sector that helps balance the economy and create more resilience.
And secondly, I'd say we can't neglect the fact that economic boost here is very huge.
Like international students bring in millions of dollars each year.
I mean, not just in tuition fees, but also in things like living expenses, housing, food and travel.
So it's a major source of income for universities and local businesses and the economy as a whole.
So it means a lot. I mean, it brings more jobs and money flowing through the whole country.
And it is really a mix of economic and strategic and relationship -building reasons that make growing the international education market such a priority for New Zealand.
Yeah, New Zealand represents a very open economy and it is a strong backer of globalization and free trade.
And I guess its ambition for the country's international education sector is also part of that bigger agenda.
Now, of course, on one hand, we know this country is relaxing its visa rules to attract more international students.
But beyond that, what other strategies do you think New Zealand should consider as well to enhance its competitiveness in this area?
For example, Rui Xin, as somebody who has had your own experience as an international student in the West, how would you compare New Zealand's approach with that of other countries like Britain or the United States, which I guess are in one way or another faced with their own unique challenges in terms of recruiting international students, I guess.
Relaxing visa rules is a solid first move, I'd like to say But if New Zealand really wants to stand out in the global education market It needs to think more broadly Other countries like the UK and the US are dealing with their own challenges as well When it comes to attracting international students So this could actually be a good moment Might be a good moment for New Zealand to step up For example, as someone who has studied in both the UK and the US, I can say firsthand that while both countries offer world -class education, they also come with significant trade -offs.
I mean, these are becoming more apparent in recent years.
I mean, firstly, students want to know that their degree will actually lead to a job.
For example, the U .S. has a strong track record for internships or co -op programs. And the U .K. is starting to lean into career services and employability rankings.
So if New Zealand can create more opportunities for international students to gain real work experiences through internships or even startup incubators, that could make a big difference.
On the other hand, the U .S. remains a major force in global education, I have to say, but it's also facing increasing challenges that New Zealand could learn from and, in other words, capitalize on, like visa uncertainty and high costs and campus safety and social climate issues like gun violence and political polarization and campus protests make things more complex. So for students in the UK, one of the biggest frustration international students currently have right now is around value for money.
I mean, tuition fees in the UK are already high.
We are talking about I mean, we are talking about 20 ,000 pounds to 35 ,000 pounds per year for many courses.
And students are starting to wonder what exactly am I getting for this?
So the truth is, with many UK universities under serious financial pressure, things like class sizes are getting bigger, context hours are being cut and personal support is harder to get.
You end up paying premium fees, but often get a much more hands -off experience than you expected.
So it's not just about the classroom.
I mean, a lot of universities are quietly cutting programs, especially in arts, humanities, and even some science and technology subjects.
Some are even laying off staff or merging departments to stay afloat.
So this isn't just a budget issue.
I mean, it directly affects the range and quality of education students are receiving.
So if you are an international student, just imagine who is paying top dollar, you can feel like you are footing the bill for a system that is struggling to deliver on its promises.
So that's a tough pill to swallow, and it's pushing many students to start looking somewhere else.
So all in all, this might be a good chance for New Zealand to position itself as a smart or stable or student -first alternative.
alternative. Last month, we saw this meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the New Zealand Prime Minister, and they underscored the vital role of educational exchanges.
So to what extent are these exchanges important for the long -term development of the bilateral ties?
Although I am not a political analyst or expert here, but from my point of view, students aren't just here or there for a just a degree so basically they are building connections shaping how future businesses and diplomacy work and often become long -term bridges between the two countries I mean at the same time these exchanges bring stability even when political or trade tensions flare up education tends to stay above the noise so it's it's I'd like to say it's kind of neutral ground where collaborations keep going through joint research and academic partnerships and simple classroom conversations
because at the end of the day, strong relationships between countries don't come from policies alone.
They come from people.
Thank you very much. That was my colleague, Sun Reixin.
Thank you very much for your interesting perspective.
That's all the time for this edition of World Today.
I'm Ding Han in Beijing.
Thank you so much for listening.
Bye for now. you
