Skip to main content

Story: Foreign policy and diplomatic representation

First ambassador to China, 1973

Image
First ambassador to China, 1973

Bryce Harland (left), New Zealand's first ambassador to China, presents his credentials in Beijing, China, in 1973. Harland was responsible for establishing New Zealand's official presence in China and giving New Zealand a profile with the Chinese government. His US counterpart (later US president) George H. W. Bush described him as determined to try to extract as much US information on China as possible.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAEG W2879 626 Box 1 f 2 6

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Michael Green, Foreign policy and diplomatic representation – Foreign policy in Europe and beyond, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34288/first-ambassador-to-china-1973 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Michael Green, published 28 May 2012, updated 1 May 2016.