China, New Zealand pledge to expand trade scope, deepen personnel exchanges

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington, New Zealand, June 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

WELLINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon here on Thursday, agreeing to expand the scope of bilateral trade and investment and deepen personnel exchanges.

During their talks, Li said his visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping's official visit to New Zealand and the establishment of China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

Over the past 10 years, no matter how the international landscape changes, China and New Zealand have consistently adhered to mutual respect, inclusiveness, cooperation and joint development, promoting bilateral relations to achieve substantial progress, and creating multiple "firsts" in bilateral cooperation, he said.

China is willing to work with New Zealand to continue their traditional friendship, enhance the spirit of "striving to be the first," jointly stimulate growth, and make efforts to upgrade the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership to bring more benefits to their people, Li added.

Li said that the respective development of China and New Zealand is an opportunity for each other rather than a challenge, calling on the two countries to continue as partners of mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit that learn from each other and foster unity and coordination.

China stands ready to work with New Zealand in continuously expanding trade, exploring cooperation potential in sectors including digital economy, green economy, new energy vehicles and creative industry, and jointly promoting regional economic cooperation, said the Chinese premier.

He also called on New Zealand and China to eliminate non-economic disruptions in their economic and trade relations to provide businesses with stable expectations and a favorable business environment, adding that China welcomes more investment from New Zealand enterprises.

Noting that China is willing to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges with New Zealand, Li said China will include New Zealand in the list of unilateral visa-free countries and expressed the hope for New Zealand to facilitate easier travel for Chinese citizens visiting the country.

China and New Zealand are both firm supporters of multilateralism, free trade and an open world economy, Li said, calling on the two nations to strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral fields, and promote all parties to stick together through thick and thin for win-win cooperation.

For his part, Luxon said that since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership 10 years ago, New Zealand and China have witnessed robust development in bilateral economic and trade relations and close personnel exchanges, benefiting the people of both countries.

He said New Zealand firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to strengthen high-level dialogue and communication at various levels with China, further deepen cooperation on agriculture, food, creative industries and environmental protection, promote people-to-people exchanges and push for sustained and in-depth development of bilateral relations.

New Zealand stands ready to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with China, enhance coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as APEC, and jointly tackle climate change and other global issues, Luxon said.

Li and Luxon agreed that the development of China-New Zealand relationship has achieved satisfactory results. Both sides will continue to view and manage the relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation, deepen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and work together to safeguard multilateralism and free trade to promote sustained, healthy and stable development of China-New Zealand relations.

The two countries agreed to initiate negotiations on service trade negative list. After the meeting, Li and Luxon witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on service trade, business environment, export of agricultural and food products to China, science and technology, patent examination and migratory bird protection, among others. They also jointly met the press.

A joint statement of outcomes of the China-New Zealand leaders' meeting was issued.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington, New Zealand, June 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)