China, Trade, and Geopolitics: What It Means for New Zealand Business”?

📅 Date: Tuesday 30 September

🕔 Time: 5:00–6:00 pm

Abstract
Having lived in Beijing since 1984, David is New Zealand’s most experienced China-based corporate adviser. Through Mahon China, he has advised leading multinationals, including Fonterra, a2 Milk, Zespri, and Les Mills, on navigating China’s regulatory, political, and commercial landscape. His perspective is shaped not only by corporate strategy, but by four decades of observing China’s economic reform and integration into the global system.

This session will examine:

  • The recalibration of US–China trade relations and its ripple effects across global supply chains.
  • China’s domestic policy responses, and how these are reshaping the investment environment.
  • The rise of “friendshoring” and its implications for smaller economies dependent on open markets.
  • Strategic considerations for New Zealand firms operating in China amid shifting geopolitical currents.

The lecture will provide a rare intersectional view where trade, diplomacy, and business strategy meet, offering insights highly relevant to both policy analysts and commercial practitioners.

Bio

A native New Zealander, David Mahon has lived in Beijing since 1984 and is the Chairman of Mahon China, a corporate advisory and asset management company. Mahon China has managed five private equity funds over the past three decades and advises multinational and local companies on their strategies. Clients include Fonterra, a2 Milk, Zespri, Pink Lady Apples, Good Farmer (China’s second-largest distributor of fresh produce), Darigold of Seattle, Weta Workshop, Les Mills Fitness, and Colonial Mutual of Melbourne, with whom they managed a seven-year 50/50 private equity partnership. Additionally, they have managed assets in China for a range of European family offices and institutions such as UBS, Raiffeisen Bank, and the Dutch, German, and French Development Funds, as well as clients like Waitrose and its UK suppliers, and Continental Grain. He leads the company’s quarterly analysis of the Chinese economy and society, undertaking grassroots research, and is a regular commentator in both Chinese and international media.