A structured provincial relationship framework for New Zealand councils, iwi, and schools
Overview
The Jiangxi Collective Partnership is a coordinated provincial-level relationship between New Zealand and Jiangxi Province, China.
It enables New Zealand:
- Local government
- Iwi and hapū
- Schools
to form structured sister-city, iwi-to-city, and sister-school relationships within one shared provincial framework.
The purpose of the framework is to provide:
- Greater scale in international engagement
- Reduced duplication of effort
- Improved continuity and coordination
- Stronger leverage with provincial authorities
- Lower operational burden for participants
Eastern Bridge Limited manages the framework in New Zealand.
There are no management fees to participate.
Strategic Rationale
Many local international relationships face similar operational challenges. These include limited internal capacity, staff turnover disrupting continuity, isolated bilateral arrangements lacking scale, and difficulty translating symbolic relationships into measurable outcomes.
Operating within a coordinated provincial structure addresses these issues.
By working collectively within one province:
- Engagement becomes structured rather than ad hoc
- Institutional knowledge is retained
- Programmes can be replicated and scaled
- Provincial-level attention is strengthened
- Participants benefit from shared visibility
Importantly, the framework coordinates activity without centralising authority. Each organisation retains full governance and decision-making control.
About Jiangxi Province
Jiangxi Province is located in central China and comprises 11 prefecture-level cities.
Key indicators include:
- Population of approximately 45 million
- Sustained GDP growth above 5% in recent years
- A diversified economy including manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and education
- Strong provincial coordination of sub-national international engagement
- A proven record of supporting exchanges and international initiatives with New Zealand communities
Jiangxi is not among China’s most affluent coastal provinces. Its development-oriented positioning has resulted in:
- Openness to pilot international engagement models
- Willingness to engage with regional and sub-national partners
- Provincial support for people-to-people exchange
- Flexibility in partnership design
This creates practical alignment with regional New Zealand communities.
How the Framework Operates
The Jiangxi Collective Partnership operates through three levels:
- Provincial engagement between Jiangxi authorities and Eastern Bridge (on behalf of the participating organisations)
- City-level relationships between Jiangxi cities and NZ councils and iwi
- School to school relationships and exchanges
Participation typically involves:
- A non-binding Agreement of Friendship with a Jiangxi city / school.
- An endorsment of Eastern Bridge to assist manage the provincial level relationship and facilitate opportunities and programmes.
- Optional participation in programmes
- Agreed reporting structure
All instruments are non-binding and non-legal in nature.
Governance remains with each participating organisation.
Participation Pathways
Participants may engage in different areas depending on strategic priorities.
Local Government
Participation may support:
- Establishment or reactivation of sister-city relationships
- Business and trade promotions
- Tourism and regional promotion within Jiangxi
- Export education marketing and student recruitment.
- Youth and volunteer exchanges
Eastern Bridge manages communication and identifies opportunities. Council determines participation on an activity-by-activity basis.
Iwi and Hapū
Participation may support:
- Iwi-to-city relationship formation
- Rangatahi exchange and leadership pathways
- Cultural exchange grounded in tikanga
- Economic exploration aligned to iwi strategy
Engagement is tikanga-led and proceeds within iwi authority and agreed scope.
Schools
Participation may support:
- Sister-school partnerships
- Structured exchange programmes
- Inbound and outbound study tours
- International student pathway development
- Global learning opportunities
All activities are subject to school-level safeguarding and governance requirements.
Participation is voluntary.
Role of Eastern Bridge Limited
Eastern Bridge Limited acts as International Relationship Manager in New Zealand.
Responsibilities include:
- Maintaining provincial-level relationships
- Managing communication channels
- Identifying and scoping opportunities
- Coordinating volunteer and exchange programmes
- Facilitating delegations
- Providing structured reporting
Eastern Bridge does not replace governance.
It operates within agreed scope and under participant authority.
There are no management fees.
Commercial activity, where relevant, is governed separately and transparently.
Delivery to Date
The Jiangxi relationship is operational and has demonstrated repeatable delivery.
Examples include:
- Fully funded New Zealand volunteer placements in Jiangxi
- Inbound study tours into regional New Zealand
- Provincial-level engagement meetings
- Business delegation activity
These activities demonstrate capacity for structured implementation rather than one-off events.
Governance, Risk and Cost
The model is intentionally low-risk.
It includes:
- Non-binding instruments
- No management or advisory fees
- No mandatory financial commitments
- Optional participation in initiatives
- Defined reporting structures
Participants retain decision-making authority and may pause or withdraw participation at any time.
Risk is reduced through structure, clarity of scope, and collective scale.
Summary
The Jiangxi Collective Partnership provides:
- A structured provincial engagement framework
- Coordinated facilitation
- Greater international scale
- Reduced operational burden
- Optional, low-risk participation
It enables councils, iwi, and schools to engage internationally with continuity and leverage, without establishing independent offshore capacity.