Honey and tea samples from three Eastern Bay food suppliers are now available in a supermarket in Jiangxi Province in China thanks to a friendship agreement with Eastern Bay councils.

Further business, work and study opportunities are being discussed, including a possible Eastern Bay business delegation led by mayors to the province early next year and a retail pilot programme for more Eastern Bay products to gain exposure to the Jiangxi market.

However, some mayors and councillors are calling for a full review of the partnership to consider whether it is providing ratepayers and councils a good return on investment.

Eastern Bay of Plenty district councils signed a regional friendship agreement with the southeast Chinese province, which has a population of 45 million, in June 2019.

Simon Appleton, director of Eastern Bridge, an organisation co-ordinating engagement between Jiangxi and the Eastern Bay councils, was online from Jiangxi to update the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee on latest developments in the relationship at its latest quarterly meeting.

The joint committee includes mayors and deputy mayors from Whakatāne, Kawerau and Ōpōtiki and Eastern Bay of Plenty regional councillors.

Appleton said he was working on establishing an Eastern Bay of Plenty promotion centre in Jiangxi, promoting commerce, education, tourism and Eastern Bay products.

"We are working with a local government-owned supermarket ... They have set up their own supermarket to provide a platform for their own food and beverage producers to more affordably trial and get their produce onto the market.

"We have done a deal with this supermarket where they will support and promote Eastern Bay of Plenty products."

The model is that samples of products are showcased in the supermarket, but the product itself is brought into China and goes directly to an e-commerce free trade zone-bonded warehouse from where they can be ordered online.

This got around a lot of compliance costs for businesses to get products through customs and meant they did not have to pay tax on goods until they sold, Appleton said.

"We've got a tea company from Whakatāne, Manawa Honey and Pakahi Valley Honey with samples currently sitting on the shelves. We're still working out the logistics and distribution and how that will go once we scale it up. We hope to work with more local businesses as well."

A delegation of local businesses led by mayors has been discussed for the past two years. Jiungxi has had several delegations come to the Eastern Bay.

Appleton said a reciprocal visit would strengthen the relationship and allow more to be done in the economical exchange space.

The Jiangxi government supports such a visit. Mayors are held in particularly high esteem in China, so mayoral participation in the delegation would open a lot more opportunities for the participating businesses.

Eastern Bridge, together with Maia Warren and Nicola Burgess, recently presented to the local business community on potential opportunities for Eastern Bay products in the Jiangxi market.

Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui said after talking to businesspeople in her district, she learned they do business internationally but with "different coastlines of China, not necessarily the Jiangxi province".

She felt council involvement with the programme should be steered by businesses and schools and sought a review of what the relationship with Jiangxi was trying to achieve.

There was agreement by mayors and staff that a review of how the partner fitted into a wider Eastern Bay economic strategy would be timely.

Other activities as part of the friendship agreement include a volunteer programme for 18-to-30-year-olds, student exchanges, scholarships and employment pathways to study and work in Jiangxi.

The fourth cohort of volunteers travelled to Jiangxi on September 19. The 25 18-to-30-year-olds are hosted at six universities across the province for three months, assisting English teachers in the classrooms, fully funded through the support of the Jiangxi Education Department and sponsors.

The 100 places in the 2026 intake received more than 400 applications. One volunteer has been offered a paid teaching position in Jingdezhen.

Appleton said there were further job opportunities with universities for people from the Eastern Bay who wanted an overseas experience earning decent money with all expenses included. The minimum educational requirement was a bachelor’s degree across any subject.

A group of 18 high school students and five teachers are travelling to Jiangxi this week for a two-week educational and cultural exchange. The group will spend time in the provincial capital Nanchang, and the city of Jingdezhen, internationally known as China’s porcelain capital. Their itinerary includes visits to local schools, cultural activities and significant landmarks. The Jiangxi Education Department will cover all costs within Jiangxi with students responsible for discounted return airfares with China Southern Airlines.

Two young people have been awarded scholarships to undertake one year of Chinese language study in Jiangxi from March next year.