From left: Dr Liang Zheng from Tsinghua University, professor Michael Witbrock from the University of Auckland and Suzannah Jessep, chief executive of Asia New Zealand Foundation Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
New Zealand's politicians and business leaders are looking to tap into China's science and technology expertise.
Artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles and new forms of energy were frequently referenced by speakers and panelists at the 11th China Business Summit in Auckland on Friday.
The event coincided with Technology Minister Shane Reti's announcement of a new institute to advance technology to be created in the country's largest city.
Zheng Liang, deputy director of the China Institute for Science and Technology Policy at Tsinghua University, outlined the three stages of China's science and technology development.
Initially, China just adopted technology from Western nations before integrating practice from around the world for indigenous innovation, he said.
After entering the third stage, China was now striving for breakthroughs in more fundamental research and development, Liang said, adding that AI and electric vehicles were just some of the achievements.
"What has made this happen [is] continuous investment in research and development in the past four decades," Liang said.
He said ongoing policy support, China's openness to the world and successes in developing an internet economy also drove China's breakthroughs in AI.
Liang highlighted China's use of AI in agriculture to help with harvesting, in healthcare to help with diagnosis and treatment, in pharmaceuticals to help with administration and stock control, in tourism to create virtual experiences, as well as in education manufacturing and governance.
"I think New Zealand ... [can] do [something] similar," Liang said, pointing to agriculture and tourism specifically.
Liang said the two countries complemented each other and could work together.
"Maybe China could [provide] some practices [and] experiences, and New Zealand can [offer] the new potential scenarios [in terms of] how to adopt this kind of technology and experience," Liang said.
One of Zheng Liang's slides, which outlined some reasons for China's AI breakthroughs. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
Michael Witbrock, a professor of computer science at the University of Auckland, said New Zealand had "serious AI capability".
"We can't replicate the power of AI research of China or the United States or the European Union," Witbrock said.
"But we can - and we do - have the capability to significantly contribute to its development and, therefore, be part of determining our future and the future of our fellow humanity.
"I hope you'll join us in helping us to build an AI capability in New Zealand ... and to direct it into technology as well for our economic advantage and for hopefully China's economic advantage as well."
Witbrock expected growing pains while the country embraced AI but said it was better to face up to challenges.
"New Zealand in the past has had a history of facing up to social reality and social change and doing the right thing and doing a thing which has, at those times, actually were periods of great innovation and great growth for New Zealand culture," he said.
"I think we can do this again for AI and it's going to happen," Witbrock said.
"The sooner we face up to it, the sooner we start to work out [such things as] how does economy work, how does resource allocation work, how do people get what they need to live their lives, the better we'll do.
"In that transition period, there are enormous short-term gains for the country as well by ... exploiting ... the economic benefits of those productivity gains."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks with summit chair and moderator Fran O'Sullivan on Friday. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said China's advancement in technology was "impressive" and "inspiring".
"There are some real areas of expertise ... that's coming through some world-class universities, amazing research programmes and then obviously being able to convert that technology," he said.
"We need to adopt a lot more technology and science innovation into our system as well because that tells me how we're going to get some of those productivity gains that we're so desperately looking for."
Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong speaks at the China Business Summit on Friday. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong also highlighted China's success in satellite technology, quantum communications and computing, new energy solutions and AI.
He said China valued its ties with New Zealand - "a consistent position that remains unchanged".
Wang said China was ready to work with New Zealand to benefit people in both countries and to "inject more stability and certainty into this turbulent world".
