Indigenous Taiwan wedding livery highlights Maori links

China Airlines began services to New Zealand about three years ago.

A China Airlines plane with livery depicting one of Taiwan's indigenous tribes is due in Auckland this afternoon.

The airline says the event is historically significant given genetic connections between indigenous Taiwanese and Maori.

The newly painted Airbus A330-300 aircraft displays details of a traditional wedding of the Paiwan tribe.

Research has found Taiwan's indigenous people and New Zealand's Maori both belong to the Austronesian language family, and research has shown that they have similar genetic characteristics.

"Because of their close links both culturally and genetically, Taiwan and New Zealand agreed to strengthen ties between the two indigenous groups," the airline said.

The airline says an economic co-operation deal between New Zealand and the "separate customs territories" of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu (Chinese Taipei) is the first agreement of its type to incorporate a chapter on indigenous co-operation.

China Airlines flies daily to New Zealand from Taiwan, via Brisbane on three days and via Sydney on four days a week. It began services to New Zealand about three years ago.

The aircraft will mainly serve Australia and New Zealand routes, along with Japan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia routes.

There are about 530,000 indigenous people in Taiwan in 14 tribes, making up about 2 per cent of the population.

Taiwan has been targeted as a growth market by Auckland Airport and about 22,000 Taiwanese visited New Zealand in the past year.