Chinese foreign minister pledges deeper trade, economic ties with New Zealand

• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed readiness to deepen trade and economic ties with New Zealand.
• Mr Wang met with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and began discussions during his visit.
• China is also open to early talks on reducing barriers to investment in the services sector and promoting economic growth through innovation.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China is ready to deepen trade and economic ties and work with New Zealand to combat climate change.

Wang met New Zealander Winston Peters at the start of a tour that also included Australia.

A statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Wang intends to hold talks to reduce barriers to investment in the services sector “at the earliest” and build new economic growth drivers with New Zealand through the digital economy and technological innovation. He said there is. Ministry.

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Peters, who is also deputy prime minister, met with Wang in New Zealand’s capital Wellington.

“There have been some important developments since our last meeting, particularly the global pandemic that has affected both countries,” Peters said in opening comments to a formal meeting at New Zealand Parliament House.

“Today is a unique opportunity to reflect on the challenges and opportunities before us,” he said.

Wang became the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit China since his last visit in 2017. Mr. Wang gave the example of Lewi Alley, a 20th century boomtown, and called for the creation of better conditions for exchange, including education, tourism and youth programs. Zealanders were members of the Chinese Communist Party.

New Zealand has developed strong economic ties with China in recent years, and in 2008 became the first developed country to sign a bilateral free trade agreement with the Chinese government. The two countries expanded their trade agreement in 2022.

Mr Wang also spoke briefly with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday, and is also scheduled to meet with Trade Minister Todd McRae while in Wellington.

Mr Wang is expected to arrive in Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday to meet with his counterpart Penny Wong, and the talks between the two sides are expected to include the issue of detained Australian citizen Yang Hengjun. .

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It will be the first direct meeting between the two foreign ministers since Yang was found guilty of espionage in a closed court in February and sentenced to death with a two-year suspended sentence.

Also on the agenda is the removal of the last remaining trade tariffs imposed by China in 2020. The tariffs were widely seen as punishment for the previous Australian government’s passage of legislation banning covert foreign interference in internal affairs, as it banned exports to Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. It opposed the rollout of Australia’s 5G network due to security concerns and a call for an independent investigation into the coronavirus pandemic.

The trade tariffs cost Australia’s economy an estimated 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion), but have since been lifted on most items except wine, rock lobster and some abattoirs.