China signs free trade deal with New Zealand

[Doctor Cynic]

Source: AP

BEIJING — China and New Zealand signed a sweeping free trade agreement Monday, the rising economic giant's first such pact with a developed country.

The deal, signed by Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and his New Zealand counterpart, Phil Goff, will give New Zealand access to one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who attended the signing with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, said the agreement is the result of three years of negotiations.

“The signing of this agreement is a very significant achievement for New Zealand. It opens up new opportunities for businesses looking to engage with, or grow their existing links with, China,” Ms. Clark said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080407.wchinanztrade0407/BNStory/Business/home/

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It would be great if NZ could sell some of their clean environment and culture of (relative) fairness and equality to a country that desperately needs it, especially since they will get cheaper toys in return.

[ToughLuck]

1. Yea.all those cheaper lead based paint toys..Hooray for them.

[fascisthunter]

2. Yay... for Sweat SHops

Slavery for the rich to make a profit. Hooray!!!!!!

[EnviroBat]

3. Well, so much for New Zealand.

Another country about to go do the free-trade toilet...

[BearSquirrel2]

4. More Kiwi jobs ...

More Kiwi jobs going to China. New Zealand must have itself a conservative problem right now. Peter Jackson cannot be responsible for the exports of an entire island nation.

[Doctor Cynic]

5. A clarification:

NZ is one of the most free-trade countries on earth. In 1984 they slashed all import tariffs, cut all subsidies, and so forth. This was under a Labour Party government, which was also famous for being anti-nuclear testing. So all the jobs that would disappear by free trade have already gone long ago. All this does is coax a promise from China to remove their tariffs so they can export more to China.

BTW the current government renationalized the railways and airline, raised the minimum wage six times in six years, allowed gay civil unions, abolished student loan interests, and introduced paid parental leave.

That's not very right-wing by any definition.