In a landmark meeting in Beijing on Friday, the Chinese premier Li Qiang welcomed New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to discuss boosting strategic communication and mutually beneficial cooperation in an era of global uncertainty.
Building on a separate session earlier that day between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Luxon, Li highlighted the need to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation across diverse fields for win-win outcomes.
Pointing to the high complementarity between the two economies, the Chinese premier proposed aligning development strategies to explore converging interests. Key priorities include:
- Expanding trade liberalization and investment facilitation
- Scaling up cooperation in emerging industries and regional integration
- Importing more quality agricultural and food products from New Zealand
- Encouraging capable Chinese enterprises to invest in New Zealand under a fair business environment
China also welcomed New Zealand as the guest country of honor at the China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education 2025 and expressed willingness to deepen exchanges in education, tourism, think tanks and subnational cooperation to boost mutual understanding.
Amid shifts in the global economic landscape, Li reaffirmed China’s commitment to safeguarding a rules-based multilateral trading system through frameworks such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, aiming to inject stability into a turbulent world.
For his part, Luxon reaffirmed New Zealand’s adherence to the one-China policy and signaled readiness for high-level exchanges, deeper cooperation in trade, agriculture, tourism, education, as well as joint action on climate change and green development.
Both leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements covering customs, food safety, organic product certification, climate initiatives and cultural heritage, marking a new chapter in China–New Zealand relations.
As this partnership evolves, young entrepreneurs, travelers and changemakers can look forward to fresh opportunities in trade, sustainability and cultural exchange that resonate across G20 nations.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
