Editor's Note: How can openness and connectivity drive shared growth? What can cities learn from each other? In this exclusive interview on The Hub, Wang Guan speaks with Wayne Brown, mayor of Auckland, New Zealand, on the sidelines of the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Ningbo, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province. Brown explores New Zealand-China cooperation, from Auckland learning from Ningbo's port efficiency to city-to-city exchanges, tech innovation and cross-sector collaboration. He also champions open trade over protectionism, and how connectivity improves urban life.