The upgrades for the special work visa for Chinese citizens under the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement came into effect on Monday, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The upgrade optimizes the special work visa for Chinese citizens engaged in China-related special occupations in New Zealand, covering five major categories: traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, Chinese chefs, Chinese teacher assistants, Chinese martial arts coaches, and Chinese tourism experts.
In 2008, China and New Zealand signed a bilateral free trade agreement, under which New Zealand agreed to recognize the five categories of professional qualifications and pledged to issue a total of 800 work visas each year to Chinese citizens engaged in the above-mentioned occupations.
In 2021, the two sides further optimized and upgraded the relevant arrangements during the negotiations on upgrading the free trade agreement. After the upgrade was officially implemented on Oct 14, the quotas for work visas for Chinese teacher assistants and Chinese tourism experts, which are in greater demand, were increased to 300 and 200 respectively, and the qualification requirements for applying for work visas for Chinese tourism experts and Chinese chefs were eased.
New Zealand upgrades special work visa policy for Chinese citizens
China's express delivery sector saw a noticeable growth in September with the industry's monthly development index coming out at 442.5, a 9-percent increase year on year, said the State Post Bureau (SPB) on Thursday.
In the first three quarters, the express delivery market handled over 120 billion pieces. The monthly business volume growth rate remained around 20 percent year on year. Since May, it has become commonplace for the monthly express delivery volume to surpass 14 billion pieces, with the highest daily volume exceeding 580 million pieces. Additionally, regional development has become more balanced.
"Express delivery companies continue to enhance the supply of delivery services in Xinjiang, increase investment in transportation capacity in remote areas such as Xizang, and promote the rapid growth of the express delivery business in the northwest and southwest regions. The year-on-year growth rate of business volume in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia is expected to exceed 45 percent," said Liu Jiang, director of the strategic planning research department of the development and research center of the State Post Bureau.
In addition, the sector has expanded its services to specific groups. It has established campus service sites at major universities, actively explored smart medical services, and facilitated the delivery of medical record reports, medicines, test samples, medical devices, and other products. The sector comprehensively utilizes intelligent devices such as drones, unmanned vehicles, and smart cabinets to help hospitals achieve traceability of pharmaceutical reagents, visualize the entire logistics process, and customize cold chain transportation. This provides strong support for expanding new development opportunities and releasing new consumption capacity.
"New modes such as live streaming have developed rapidly, leading to the continuous expansion of the express delivery market. Under the guidance of the trade-in policy for consumer goods, smart homes and green household appliances are increasingly becoming new hotspots for online delivery. Additionally, the delivery scale of seasonal fresh food, fitness and healthcare products, holiday items, flowers, and plants has expanded, with express delivery companies playing an active role in promoting the sustainable development of new consumption," said Liu.
China's postal sector posts 9-pct growth in Sept: report
