To celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, the Chinese Cultural Center in Wellington, together with the Wellington City Council, held the "China-New Zealand Youth Art Exhibition and Issuance of Commemorative Stamps for the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and New Zealand" on December 12, 2022, featuring the artworks by young people from both countries and the stamps on award-winning paintings issued by the New Zealand Post (NZ Post).

With the theme of "Green, Peace and Friendship", the exhibition collected paintings on the 50th anniversary of China-New Zealand diplomatic relations from young people in Wellington and its sister cities in China. Of the 50 winning pieces, ten were redesigned by New Zealand artists before they were turned into commemorative stamps and issued by NZ Post. Some were about peaceful development, inspired by the New Zealand silver fern leaf, and some highlighted the enduring value of cross-cultural exchange through a combination of symbols such as China's Great Wall, the Beijing Opera, and Western faces.

In his congratulatory speech on behalf of the Wellington City Council, Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung looked forward to the mutual reinforcement between bilateral ties and sister city relationships, hoping that Wellington would continue to engage in multi-tiered cooperation in various areas with cities in China to promote the friendship and mutual development between the two countries.

Since May 2006 when Wellington was twinned with Beijing, the two cities have carried out extensive practical cooperation and exchanges in the fields like economy, trade, culture, tourism, education, and sports. The art exhibition saw the participation of four high schools in Wellington and nearly 40 schools and related organizations in China. Several of the 60 paintings sent by Beijing won awards and were included in the souvenir folder. It is learnt that about 130 pieces of work will be on display at the Wellington community centers for nearly two weeks.