Read Stephen's article in the NZ Herald calling for NZ/China relations to be more diverse and sustainable - here
We cannot afford short term thinking with China says Stephen Jacobi
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2017 – a year of growth and commemoration for NZ and China
This is an op ed Stephen wrote for the Chinese Herald, published on 10 March 2017. 2017 looks set to be an important and memorable year for the New Zealand China relationship. Firstly, a visit to New Zealand by Premier Li Keqiang is expected in the coming months. ...
John Key set high bar in relationship with China
When it came to New Zealand and China, John Key was acutely aware of the high stakes. He knew China was an economic lifeline following the Global Financial Crisis, as export growth to our traditional markets stalled or went backwards. He knew our living standards...
Is Auckland stuck in second gear with China?
A question for my friend and incoming Auckland mayor Phil Goff: How will you lift the city’s economic relationship with China? One in 12 Aucklanders now identifies as Chinese; it is the country’s commercial capital and the gateway for Chinese visitors, students and...
A Trade policy for our times
The Government’s “refresh” of its Trade Policy Strategy is both timely and appropriate. Hopefully it will prove substantive as well. The existing strategy coined a generation ago by former Trade Minister Tim Groser, while still an MFAT official, has served New...
If not TPP then what?
This op ed was kindly published by The Spinoff on 16 August 2016. Trade has been described as “war by other means”. That led the US Defence Secretary in peak hyperbole to declare that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was as important to him as another aircraft...
No this is not a trade war!
In this article I argue for calm when trade issues arise. Some years ago I wrote “when elephants fight, it gets tough on the grass”. That was when the United States under President George W Bush was blocking steel imports from New Zealand and other countries. It...
Open letter to Andrew Little, Leader, Labour Party, on TPP
Andrew Little MPLeader of the Labour PartyWELLINGTON Dear Andrew Thank you for clarifying your opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) on your recent blog post “My thoughts on the TPP” [1]. In the interests of open and respectful debate, I...
Under the microscope: TPP and copyright
In this article Stephen is joined by copyright expert Ken Moon of A J Park to discuss the impact of TPP's provisions on copyright in New Zealand. "The TPP intellectual property provisions, while a complex set of legal commitments, will not result in much change to the...