Practical notes for councils, schools and iwi.

With 18,000 respondents across 20 regions, the 2025 Migrant Perceptions Survey is the largest iteration to date — revealing growing economic pressures, declining healthcare satisfaction, and rising mental health concerns among New Zealand’s migrant communities.

With 53 councils maintaining 154 international relationships across 20+ countries, New Zealand’s sister city network is one of the most active in the Asia-Pacific region — yet many partnerships remain underutilised. This article examines what makes them work.

Sister-school relationships, student exchanges, and language programmes are reshaping how New Zealand schools engage with China. Here is what the next phase of cooperation looks like — and how to build it.

China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner. Yet Mandarin remains one of the least-studied languages in the country. Here is why that needs to change.

Indigenous diplomacy, sister relationships, and a new pathway for Māori international engagement — with China as the priority partner.

Sister school partnerships are far more than symbolic gestures of international goodwill. When properly developed, they generate measurable economic returns for schools and communities — while providing students with life-changing international experiences.

How Eastern Bridge designed and delivered a pilot study holiday programme in the Eastern Bay of Plenty — generating over $400,000 in regional economic impact and demonstrating a scalable model for international education-based tourism.

How Eastern Bridge partnered with Kutarere Marae and the Eastern Bay of Plenty community to co-design a transformative cultural tourism experience that delivers lasting benefit for visitors and hosts alike.

How Eastern Bridge helped a Hawke’s Bay wine producer navigate China’s relationship-first business culture — and build a sustainable market presence in Zhejiang Province.

How Eastern Bridge helped a regional New Zealand business build a 150,000-strong Chinese social media audience through live-streaming, Douyin content, and influencer marketing — turning Hawke’s Bay into a recognisable brand in China’s digital marketplace.

How Eastern Bridge helped Statistics New Zealand close the census participation gap — ensuring migrant communities across Hawke’s Bay were counted, represented, and served.

How Eastern Bridge bridged culture, language, and commerce to transform a dormant dairy site into a thriving export food manufacturing facility — generating over $5.85 million in annual regional economic impact and revitalising a community.

With borders closed and travel suspended, the Eastern Bay of Plenty–Jiangxi sister province relationship adapted — pivoting to online school exchanges, a cross-Pacific ecology programme, and a gesture of solidarity in the form of a PPE shipment from Jiangxi to the Eastern Bay.

A 19-person delegation from the Eastern Bay of Plenty travelled to Nanchang in June 2019, signing landmark friendship agreements with Jiangxi Province and returning home with a $190,000 scholarship fund, a new Bay of Plenty Promotion Centre, and a suite of business and education partnerships.

In December 2018, Eastern Bridge presented a strategic framework to the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee for a sister province relationship with Jiangxi, China. Aimed at boosting regional tourism, investment, and youth opportunities, the proposal won unanimous support from the mayors of Ōpōtiki

Building on the success of the inaugural 2015 event, the second New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum was held in Wellington in December 2017. As a preferred partner for LGNZ, Eastern Bridge played an expanded role in providing strategic advice, training, and on-the-ground support.

The first-ever New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum took place in Xiamen in September 2015, establishing a new platform for local government cooperation. Eastern Bridge played a key supporting role for its council clients, providing strategic advice and due diligence.