On June 17, China announced the inclusion of Australia on the list of unilateral visa-free countries. Prior to this, New Zealand was added on June 13.
据央视新闻客户端消息，6月17日，中国宣布将把澳大利亚纳入单方面免签国家范围。而在此之前，6月13日，中国已宣布将把新西兰纳入单方面免签国家范围。
The two South Pacific nations share close economic and cultural ties with Ningbo in east China, and the recent visa-free policy is believed to benefit trade, tourism, education, and other industries (e.g., enabling convenient travelling to China on short notice). This change is expected to bring more opportunities to Ningbo, a coastal city known for its open economy.
来自大洋彼岸的澳大利亚和新西兰，与宁波有着密切的经贸往来和文化交流。此次免签，有利于当地的经贸、文旅、教育等行业从业者，可以“说走就走”地来中国出差，为开放型经济大市宁波带来更多机遇。
“This news is really exciting! Waves of excitement seized our sales team in Australia as we immediately shared the announcement. They exclaimed ‘Oh my goodness!’ while hurriedly spreading the word to our clients,” said Zheng Qiu (pseudonym) — a practitioner engaged in the export of daily necessities in Ningbo — during an interview on June 17. The news of China granting unilateral visa-free entry to Australia has sparked great enthusiasm among Zheng and his colleagues.
“这可真是个好消息！我们一听说免签，就立马把喜讯转给澳洲的销售团队。他们也非常激动，一边感叹‘Oh my goodness!’，一边向客户奔走相告。”6月17日，在宁波从事日用品出口的郑秋（化名）告诉记者，中国将对澳大利亚单方面免签的消息，令他和同事们“喜大普奔”。
Zheng’s delight lies in the fact that his company primarily serves the Australian market, catering to several major supermarket chains across the country. He expects a significant increase in visits from Australian clients this year. “Upon hearing this news, they were ecstatic and mentioned that while they used to visit once a year, now they can come whenever they want.”
郑秋之所以如此欣喜，是因为他的公司主营澳大利亚市场，客户群体覆盖澳大利亚多家主要商超。郑秋预计，今年来华拜访的澳大利亚客户将增加不少。“他们得知免签的消息后高兴地表示，以前可能一年就来一趟，现在可以想来就来了。”
Australia, a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is a crucial trading partner for Ningbo. In the first five months of this year alone, the imports and exports to Australia handled by Ningbo port amounted to 34.91 billion RMB yuan, marking a substantial year-on-year increase of 26.9%.
作为RCEP成员国之一，澳大利亚是宁波重要的贸易伙伴。今年前5个月，宁波口岸对澳大利亚进出口额达349.1亿元，同比增长26.9%。
These two Oceanian nations are renowned for their high-quality consumer goods. In addition to export traders, Ningbo hosts a thriving community of importers specializing in products such as wine and beef from both countries. The combination of visa-free access and increasingly favorable tariffs has bolstered their confidence in expanding the range of Australian imports.
澳大利亚和新西兰还以优质的消费品闻名。除了出口贸易商，宁波还活跃着一批从事红酒、牛肉等消费品进口的外贸人。免签的消息叠加关税的调整，增加了他们扩充澳大利亚“购物车”的信心。
“Australian wine has been beloved by consumers for its rich, sweet flavors, thus holding a significant market share in China,” noted Wang Hua, General Manager of Seekvinum International Wine (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. In the eyes of Wang, the visa-free policy will significantly enhance Australian wine’s presence in the Chinese market. “This year, our partners from France and Italy and other countries and regions have already enjoyed the benefits of visa-free entry and joined around 150 promotional events across China. Looking ahead, Australian winemakers will have easier access to seeking new business opportunities in China.”
“以前，澳大利亚葡萄酒在中国市场的占比还是很可观的，以甜美浓郁的口感受到中国消费者青睐。”在寻醴国际酒业（浙江）有限公司总经理王铧看来，澳大利亚被纳入中国的免签“朋友圈”，有利于当地葡萄酒打开中国市场，“今年，与我们合作的法国、意大利等地酒庄代表，已经享受到来华免签的红利，在国内参加约150场巡展、路演、品鉴会等推广活动。接下来，澳大利亚的酒庄庄主、酿酒师，也能频繁地来中国寻找商机。”
The benefits of visa-free access extend beyond goods trade to cultural exchange, education, and tourism. As a result, Ningbo has already witnessed substantial cooperation in service trade and cultural endeavors with Australia and New Zealand.
免签带来的“想象力”，不只停留在货物贸易，还能影响文化、教育、旅游等方方面面。宁波和澳新两国，在服务贸易和文化交流方面，已有大量合作成果。
Wētā Workshop — the New Zealand-based creative studio — serves as a prime example. Celebrated for its contributions to global cinematic masterpieces including “The Lord of the Rings”, it has forged a pivotal partnership with Ningbo-based listed company Dafeng Industrial. With joint efforts, they have crafted Aura: The Forest at the Edge of the Sky — a themed installation located at the heart of the Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex (aka. CDF Mall) — to enhance commercial settings with digital art. Their collaboration exemplifies the mutual benefits of Sino-New Zealand cooperation in service trade.
比如，新西兰“国宝级”企业维塔工作室，曾参与《指环王》等世界经典影视作品。宁波上市公司大丰实业，就是该公司的重要合作伙伴，双方携手打造海口国际免税城的“天际秘林”主题中庭，以数字艺术赋能商业场景，为中国与新西兰在服务贸易领域的优势互补提供“宁波案例”。
“Australia and New Zealand have their unique strengths. The former not only boasts several world-renowned universities but complements Ningbo’s industrial strengths in sectors covering life sciences, marine biology, advanced manufacturing, and international trade. Meanwhile, the latter excels in film production and software technology,” highlighted Miao Jing, President of Ningbo Yinzhou District Association of Trade in Services. Her firm has provided digital marketing and consulting services to esteemed institutions such as the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia and the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Miao is optimistic that visa-free access will accelerate the attraction, negotiation, and execution of projects from both Australia and New Zealand, thereby fostering greater opportunities for service trade enterprises through intensified bilateral exchanges.
“澳大利亚拥有多所世界名校，还在生命健康、海洋生物、先进制造、国际贸易等领域与宁波的产业结构优势互补。而新西兰则在影视制作、软件科技等方面有专长。”缪静是宁波市鄞州区服务贸易协会会长，她所在的企业曾为澳大利亚新南威尔士大学、新西兰奥克兰大学等名校提供数字营销和咨询服务。她认为，借助免签，宁波可以加快澳新两国项目的招引、洽谈和落地,“双边商业往来越密集，服务贸易企业的配套机会就越多。”
Journalist: Yan Jin
Translator: Pan Wenjie
Proofreaders: Fan Yeping,
Huang Dawang, Jason Mowbray