The Chinese Ambassador believes China can help New Zealand recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and be more resilient, including through collaboration on the financing and construction of key infrastructure.
In a letter shared on Wednesday evening to Newshub, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong says China sees “a lot of potential for China and New Zealand to work together”, including on infrastructure development.
China has a history of financing infrastructure projects around the world, particularly through its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Thursday said he didn’t have details of whether the Chinese have formally offered assistance, but New Zealand would work with others where appropriate.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused severe damage to parts of the North Island, particularly the east coast around Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, when it hit in mid-February.
The Prime Minister has stressed the need for future infrastructure to be more resilient, including potentially needing to change where roads are.
The Ambassador said in his letter that China is one of the most natural-disaster-prone countries in the world and has experience with “enhancing the resilience of infrastructure”.
He said New Zealand and China could compare notes and share best practices.
Launched in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the BRI is a scheme through which China assists in developing infrastructure projects in other countries.
