I’m surprised by this China Daily (via china.org.cn) report, because the headline and opening sound so much more positive than the last report in the NZ Herald I read on the subject of the China-NZ Free Trade Agreement. Compare China Daily’s opening:
China and New Zealand will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in April, its first with a developed nation, the commerce ministry said yesterday.
After 15 rounds of talks, the two countries have reached consensus on substantial issues and are now finalizing the text of the agreement, Wang Xinpei, the ministry’s spokesman, said at a press conference.
“The FTA will cover goods and service trade and investment,” Wang said.
With the NZ Herald’s:
New Zealand remains on track to complete a “high quality and comprehensive” free trade deal with China by April next year, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.
Achieving the agreed April deadline would make New Zealand the first developed nation to wrap up a free trade agreement (FTA) with China.
Note the continued, and almost insistent, use of the conditional in the NZ Herald, and contrast that with china.org.cn’s positive active voice.
Well, regardless of whichever report is the more accurate, it’s still good news… I assume. On issues such as this, I have to say I trust the Chinese government over the NZ government, China’s central government is just so smartly pragmatic, and hard, but even so, I’m pretty sure the NZ government is smart enough to do right by our country.
