"One of the things that we're quite keen to do is to continue to develop our relationship with China," Jasoni added.

"What we have to offer is innovation in agricultural space. We're working with a number of universities around China, mostly agricultural universities, because we obviously have a lot of synergies there."

Student and scholar exchanges play a big role in the sharing of knowledge and expertise, she said, "because I think we have a lot to learn from both sides, that would be really beneficial to everyone".

At Lincoln University, Pablo Gregorini, a professor of livestock production and agricultural systems, leads groundbreaking research with the Yili innovation center that demonstrates how greater botanical diversity in pastures can transform the future of dairy in both China and New Zealand.

According to the research, by moving beyond traditional ryegrass-based systems and embracing a wider range of forage species, the nutritional and health value of milk can be significantly enhanced.

"We're producing healthier milk, we have healthier cows, cows that literally, based on the measurements we've done… even sleep differently in the field," Gregorini, whose fieldwork covers North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, said.