A letter, an investor, an invitation. Most are genuine. A few aren’t what they seem, and the cost of getting it wrong falls on the council. If anything doesn’t add up, talk to us in confidence.
What’s free, what’s paid, and what you get. See all prices.
01 · Free
A confidential first chat
30 minutes on the phone or Zoom. Nothing goes further unless you want it to.
02 · Fixed price
We check
A Partner Check: Short ($350 + GST, about 5 working days) or Full ($1,200 + GST, 5–8 working days). You agree the price before we start. Community International Relations subscribers pay no extra for checks.
03 · Included
Written advice
Usually two to four pages, ready for your chief executive or a councillor workshop, and a call to talk it through.
04 · If you want it
Ongoing support
Replies, MOUs, protocol and visits through Community International Relations, from $900 + GST a month for 8 hours, with partner checks included in your monthly fee.
What we check
Who they are: registration, ownership and history
Who they represent: which level of government or body, and whether they’re the right counterpart
Track record: other relationships, in New Zealand and elsewhere
What they’re asking: the real request behind the letter
What it commits you to: costs, hospitality, exclusivity, information and reputation
Your written advice
Who they are and who they represent
What they’re asking for, and why
Red flags found, and what we couldn’t confirm
Compliance points to consider
Your options and our recommended next step
A suggested reply, translated for the other party if needed
Foreign interference and the official guidance
Councils are expected to manage international relationships openly and carefully. We help you ask the right questions early, and point you to:
We point you to
NZSIS guidance on foreign interference
The Protective Security Requirements (PSR)
Your council’s gifts, hospitality and conflicts of interest policies
Procurement rules, where money or contracts are involved
We’re not lawyers or security advisers. If you need one, we’ll say so.
No payment from the other side
We never take payment from an overseas party we are checking or liaising with for you. If any partner pays us a fee for anything, we tell you in writing first. Arrangements in China go through Beijing New Bridge, a separate company in which Eastern Bridge holds a 30% share; we always tell you when it is involved. See Transparency.
Want this looked after every month?
If approaches, letters and visits keep landing on your desk, a China Readiness Review ($1,200 + GST) maps your links and risks, and Community International Relations handles them for you from $900 + GST a month for 8 hours.
