New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon noted that the country is committed to a stable, productive and mutually beneficial relationship with China when addressing the China Business Summit in Auckland on Friday.
Following his successful visit to China and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June, Luxon praised the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
"China is a key economic partner for New Zealand. We are committed to growing and deepening that relationship. There is so much more to do together," he said.
Deals worth more than one billion New Zealand dollars (about 600 million U.S. dollars) were signed during Luxon's visit to China, and there could be more to come.
"But there is a real opportunity coming out of it in terms of the current geopolitical kind of tensions, particularly in terms of students wanting education opportunities, tourists wanting tourism opportunities outside of the U.S.," said Dame Therese Walsh, chairwoman of Air New Zealand.
Despite the economic upheaval caused by the U.S. trade war, Todd Mcclay, New Zealand's trade minister, is upbeat about future opportunities in China.
"Where there is adversity, for New Zealanders who work hard, there is opportunity, and I see nothing but promise in the relationship with China," he said.
His remarks were echoed by many exporters in the country, who aim to tap deeper into China's vast market.
"China is the best paying market for many items that come off our animals, but also that long term growth opportunity," said Dan Boulton, chief executive of Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand's biggest meat exporter.
"We have a great level of confidence about the opportunities ahead of us in China," said Jason Te Brake, chief executive of Zespri, a kiwifruit exporter.
On the diplomatic front, Wang Xiaolong, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, noted that the prime minister's visit to Beijing was a "huge success" and that both countries look forward to expanding cooperation through their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
"The Chinese side stands ready to work closely with the New Zealand side to give effect to the consensus reached by the leaders and to take the relationship to the next level," he said.
The prime minister also noted that building stable and mutually beneficial relationship with China is important.
"China's influence is undeniable, and that's why it's always so vital that we can engage and deepen dialogue on important issues to both of us," he said.
New Zealand's prime minister reiterates commitment to mutually beneficial bilateral relationship with China
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
