Top Chinese legislator holds talks with New Zealand parliament speaker

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Speaker of New Zealand Parliament Trevor Mallard via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, held talks with Speaker of New Zealand Parliament Trevor Mallard via video link on Thursday.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, Li said China is ready to work with New Zealand to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and push for greater development of China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li said that the two countries have respected each other and treated each other as equals, setting a good example of win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, history, culture, development stages and economic sizes.

China expects that the two sides would strengthen political mutual trust, increase high-level exchanges, uphold the common interests of the two countries and the well-being of the two peoples, and ensure that China-New Zealand relations continue to move forward in the right direction, he said.

The two sides should expand practical cooperation, ensure high-quality implementation of the upgraded free trade agreement, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and explore new cooperation areas on green development, Li added.

The two sides should deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, promote cooperation in education, sports and tourism, and enhance friendly exchanges at local levels as well as mutual understandings between the two peoples, he noted.

Li said that the two countries should enhance coordination on multilateral affairs, strengthen communication within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and work together to address global challenges such as climate change, in order to contribute to regional prosperity and world peace and development.

Li noted that the two legislatures have maintained friendly exchanges at multiple levels and in various areas for a long time. The NPC is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the New Zealand Parliament, share legislation experiences in agriculture, green energy, digital economy and other fields, and supervise the implementation of various agreements, so as to create a favorable policy and legal environment for bilateral cooperation in various fields, serve their respective economic and social development, and promote the development of bilateral ties.

Mallard praised China's extraordinary efforts for the successful hosting of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

New Zealand firmly pursues the one-China policy, said Mallard, adding that the New Zealand Parliament is willing to strengthen exchanges with the NPC and make positive contributions to promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields and enhancing friendship between the two peoples.