Zespri's contentious China deal rejected by regulator over IP leakage and China relationship concernsZespri在中国的争议交易因知识产权泄露和中国关系问题被监管机构驳回
▲zespri RubyRed▲
Bringing it all back home - Zespri shares kiwifruit pointers with Chinese growers. This video was first published in 2018.
把一切带回家-Zespri与中国种植者分享猕猴桃指针。该视频于2018年首次发布。
▲Yellow kiwi orchard
Zespri's contentious China deal was rejected by the industry regulator due to concerns intellectual property would "leak" into China, and the company’s relationship with its largest market could be damaged.
Zespri在中国的争议交易被行业监管机构拒绝，原因是担心知识产权会“泄露”到中国，该公司与其最大市场的关系可能会受到损害。
▲sungold g3 kiwifruit vine
An independent assessment of the kiwifruit giant's China project – a trial of buying and branding counterfeit SunGold kiwifruit grown in China – also canvassed a “wider geo-political risk”, but further details have been redacted in documents obtained by Stuff.
对这家猕猴桃巨头的中国项目进行的一项独立评估——一项购买中国种植的假冒老猕猴桃并为其打上品牌的试验——也揭示了“更广泛的地缘政治风险”，但本网获得的文件中对进一步的细节进行了修改。
▲sungold g3 kiwifruit vine
China expert Anne-Marie Brady says references to geo-political risk show China considers the proposal a political relationship, not a business relationship, risking the banning of exports if offence is caused.
中国专家安妮·玛丽·布雷迪 他说，提到地缘政治风险表明，中国认为这项提议是一种政治关系，而不是商业关系，如果违法行为发生，可能会被禁止出口。
▲New Zealand zespri Kiwifruit packaging
However, Zespri remains convinced the trial won’t initially compromise its intellectual property (IP), and that its “upfront” approach has gained it support within the country.
然而，Zespri仍然相信，该试验一开始不会损害其知识产权（IP），其“先发制人”的方法在国内获得了支持。
▲New Zealand zespri redKiwifruit packaging
Zespri wants to buy into illicitly grown sungold kiwifruit, a move which would be outside its legal mandate.
Zespri希望收购非法种植的阳光金果猕猴桃，这一举动将超出其法律授权范围。
▲阳光金果猕猴桃果园
Zespri now expects that more than 4000ha of unlicensed SunGold kiwifruit, the equivalent of 10 million trays, is being grown in China on vines that were once stolen from the company – a threat to the company’s sizeable stake in the Chinese market.
Zespri现在预计，在中国，有超过4000公顷的未经许可的SunGold猕猴桃（相当于1000万盘）种植，这对该公司在中国市场的巨大份额构成了威胁。
▲zespri goldenkiwifruit
The company hoped to partner with the growers, providing technology and skills to produce and sell some 1.95m trays of SunGold at its high standard, in a three-year trial.
该公司希望与种植者合作，提供技术和技能，以高标准生产和销售约195万盘SunGold，为期三年。
▲zespri yellow kiwi
But, after seeking sign off from industry regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand (KNZ), Zespri in January withdrew its proposal before KNZ could publish its findings and decline approval.
但是，在寻求行业监管机构新西兰猕猴桃（KNZ）的批准后，Zespri于1月份在新西兰猕猴桃公布其调查结果并拒绝批准之前撤回了其提案。
▲Kiwifruit packing box
Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show KNZ and an independent review conducted by Sapere had deemed the proposal “more than low risk” to growers in three ways.
根据《官方信息法》获得的文件显示，KNZ和Sapere进行的独立审查认为该提案在三个方面对种植者“风险很低”。
▲猕猴桃牵引
Former New Zealand ambassador to China John McKinnon advised Sapere that relations with provincial Chinese government could be damaged when exiting the arrangement, an outcome that could be worse than not entering the trial.
新西兰前驻华大使约翰·麦金农 萨佩雷表示，退出协议可能会损害与中国省政府的关系，这可能比不参与审判更糟糕。
▲Kiwi pollination▲
“This worse outcome could occur if expectations were not well managed,” the report said.
报告称：“如果预期管理不善，可能会出现更糟糕的结果。”。
Such a risk could be mitigated, however Zespri’s application did not describe how it would manage this “other than a general comment about a stakeholder and communication strategy”.
这样的风险是可以缓解的，但是Zespri的应用程序没有描述它将如何管理这一风险，“除了关于利益相关者和沟通策略的一般性评论”。
▲Kiwi pollen▲
Some 4000ha of unlicensed SunGold kiwifruit is being grown in China, after the variety was stolen from Zespri. It’s broadly expected the illicit planting of SunGold will only expand.
中国种植了约4000公顷未经许可的阳光猕猴桃，此前该品种从Zespri被盗。人们普遍预计，非法种植桑戈德的活动只会扩大。
▲红心猕猴桃花粉
While details of a “wider geo-political risk” mentioned in Zespri’s application were redacted, the report said the risk of “unpredictable government intervention and other geopolitical risks” would be much greater if the trial became a full-scale operation.
虽然Zespri申请书中提到的“更广泛的地缘政治风险”的细节已被修改，但报告称，如果审判成为全面行动，“不可预测的政府干预和其他地缘政治风险”，风险将大得多。
▲黄心猕猴桃花粉
Brady, a professor at University of Canterbury, told Stuff: "What they're saying is that China is treating this all politically rather than as a business relationship ... so that's problematic.”
坎特伯雷大学（University of Canterbury）教授布雷迪（Brady）告诉《Stuff》：“他们的意思是，中国把这一切都视为政治关系，而不是商业关系……所以这是有问题的。”
▲zespri rubyred kiwifruit
"What they mean is the political risk of China banning New Zealand exports for some reason, that [Zespri] might be affected by it, but that ... their own decision to protect their interests could cause offence and make things worse for them and New Zealand.”
“他们的意思是，中国出于某种原因禁止新西兰出口的政治风险，〔Zespri〕可能会受到影响，但……他们自己保护自己利益的决定可能会引起冒犯，并使他们和新西兰的情况变得更糟。”
▲zespri yellow kiwi
McKinnon also advised that IP leakage was a “medium to high” likelihood, and “a very common feature of direct investments in China”.
麦金农还表示，知识产权泄漏的可能性为“中到高”，是“在华直接投资的一个非常普遍的特征”。
▲Rubyred kiwi orchard
Former ambassador to China John McKinnon provided advise to an independent review of Zespri’s China proposal.
前驻华大使约翰·麦金农（John McKinnon）为Zespri的中国提案的独立审查提供了建议。
▲zespri yellow kiwi
“The level of leakage would likely be initially low. However, by the end of the trial period the risk of a level of leakage [would be] materially higher than if the trial were not conducted,” Sapere wrote.
萨佩雷写道：“最初泄漏水平可能很低。然而，到试验期结束时，泄漏水平的风险[将]大大高于不进行试验的情况。”。
▲zespri sungold g3 kiwi
KNZ agreed with Sapere’s risk assessment, and said there was also a “more than low risk” to the reputation of New Zealand growers.
In a draft decision, KNZ said it “strongly” disagreed with Zespri that any food safety failures would not damage the reputation of New Zealand growers, as such “failures would be clearly linked to Chinese-grown fruit”.
“Not only is that an unrealistic assumption in terms of market perception, but KNZ believes that quality and especially food safety failures would directly affect the Zespri brand.”
KNZ同意萨佩雷的风险评估，并表示新西兰种植者的声誉也存在“较低的风险”。
KNZ在一份决定草案中表示，它“强烈”不同意Zespri的观点，即任何食品安全问题都不会损害新西兰种植者的声誉，因为“这些问题显然与中国种植的水果有关”。
“这不仅是一个不切实际的市场认知假设，而且KNZ认为质量，尤其是食品安全问题，将直接影响Zespri品牌。”
▲佳沛阳光金果金奇异果
Zespri, in its application, had assessed the risks to the trial as low. It said IP leakage would be low due to it signing confidentiality contracts with selected Chinese growers.
Professor Anne-Marie Brady says there is little regard for IP in China.
Brady said the legal system in China was politicised and foreign investors had difficulty protecting their rights.
Zespri在其应用中评估了试验的风险很低。该公司表示，由于与选定的中国种植者签订了保密合同，IP泄漏率将很低。
安妮·玛丽·布雷迪教授说，中国很少重视知识产权。
布雷迪表示，中国的法律制度被政治化，外国投资者很难保护自己的权利。
▲阳光金果G3猕猴桃
"There are so many factors that will be outside their control. A formal agreement in China is not the same as a formal agreement in New Zealand, and if something does go wrong, the odds are stacked against you."
Zespri's chief grower and industry officer, Carol Ward, said in a statement to Stuff that Zespri would not be sharing IP during the first year of the trial, instead monitoring selected orchards.
“We’ve also been very clear about the parameters of the trial ... That’s included being upfront about what it would take for the trial to succeed, including ... mitigating the spread of unauthorised plantings and being able to better protect our IP.
▲sungold g3 kiwifruit vine
“他们无法控制的因素太多了。在中国的正式协议与在新西兰的正式协议不同，如果确实出了什么问题，你就很难获得成功。”
Zespri的首席种植者兼行业官卡罗尔·沃德, 在一份声明中说，Zespri在试验的第一年不会共享IP，而是监控选定的果园。
“我们对试验的参数也非常清楚……这包括预先了解试验成功所需的条件，包括……减少未经授权种植的蔓延，并能够更好地保护我们的知识产权。
▲redkiwi growing zone
“We have also been well-supported in China, and local Chinese stakeholders have appreciated the pragmatic and constructive approach we have taken.”
Ward did not answer a question about whether Zespri accepted KNZ’s findings of “more than low” risk.
Sapere Research Group report into Zespri proposal by Stuff Newsroom on Scribd
The company would take the proposal to a vote of the industry’s growers in the middle of the year, in the hope of getting sign-off for the trial in time for the China sales season, starting in October.
▲佳沛黄心猕猴桃
“我们在中国也得到了很好的支持，中国当地利益相关者赞赏我们采取的务实和建设性的做法。”
沃德没有回答Zespri是否接受KNZ的“超低”风险调查结果的问题。
Sapere研究小组在Scribd上对Stuff Newsroom提出的Zespri提案进行了报告
该公司将在年中将该提案提交给该行业的种植者投票，以期在10月开始的中国销售季前及时签署试用协议。
▲阳光金果G3猕猴桃
As Zespri has a state-sanctioned monopoly on marketing and export of New Zealand-grown kiwifruit, under law it needs sign-off from KNZ or a majority of kiwifruit growers to conduct business activities outside of New Zealand.
A contentious proposal
In late 2020 Zespri inked a “memorandum of intent” with a Sichuan-based state-owned enterprise to signal it would enter a commercial arrangement with growers of unlicensed SunGold in China.
▲Kiwifruit orchard
The company aimed to provide its “world-leading” orchard, harvest and quality control techniques and technology that would lift the quality of the Chinese fruit, to sell under the Zespri brand.
Zespri has called it a “win-win” arrangement that was hoped to encourage a supportive Chinese government into enforcing the plant variety rights, or IP, over SunGold fruit, curbing the growth of counterfeit fruit.
▲Golden kiwifruit
由于Zespri在新西兰种植的猕猴桃的营销和出口方面拥有国家批准的垄断权，根据法律，它需要新西兰克朗兹公司或大多数猕猴桃种植者的批准，才能在新西兰境外开展业务活动。
有争议的提议
2020年末，Zespri与一家四川国有企业签署了一份“意向备忘录”，表示将与中国无照SunGold种植者达成商业协议。
该公司旨在提供其“世界领先”的果园、收获和质量控制技术，以提高中国水果的质量，并以Zespri品牌销售。
Zespri称之为“双赢”安排，希望鼓励支持性的中国政府对SunGold水果实施植物品种权，或知识产权，以遏制假冒水果的增长。
▲zespri kiwifruit Import and export
With China’s growing season on the horizon and the volume of counterfeit fruit expected to grow, there was pressure to ink a deal – and pressure was being applied to KNZ to sign off on the proposal.
Stuff last week revealed Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron had allegedly tried to “browbeat” and intimidate industry KNZ into "rubber-stamping" the proposal.
Letter from KNZ chairwoman to Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron by Stuff Newsroom on Scribd
KNZ chairwoman Kristy McDonald, QC, in a November letter obtained under the Official Information Act, alleged Cameron had personally threatened her amid “a series of threats, demands and accusations” in a Friday evening phone call.
Cameron totally rejected the characterisation of the phone call.
随着中国的种植季节即将到来，假冒水果的数量预计将增加，签订协议的压力也越来越大，KNZ也面临签署该提案的压力。
上周公布的消息显示，Zespri主席布鲁斯·卡梅隆（Bruce Cameron）据称试图“威吓”和恐吓KNZ行业，使其对该提案“打橡皮图章”。
▲RubyRedkiwifruit
KNZ主席致Zespri主席布鲁斯·卡梅隆的信，由Scribd上的Stuff Newsroom撰写
KNZ主席克里斯蒂·麦克唐纳, QC在11月根据《官方信息法》获得的一封信中，指控卡梅伦在周五晚上的一个电话中“一系列威胁、要求和指控”亲自威胁她。
卡梅伦完全否认了这通电话的特征。
▲Golden Kiwi seedlings▲
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said there was always going to be tension between KNZ and Zespri, which was a “hard-nosed commercial operator".
▲Golden kiwifruit▲
农业部长达米恩·奥康纳说，KNZ和泽斯普里之间总是会有紧张关系，泽斯普林是一个“精明的商业运营商”。
“这会发生的，所有行业的人们都会做这些事情，试图让他们的案例得到提出。我对此并不感到惊讶。”
▲RubyRedkiwifruit
