New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday said she hoped to lead a trade mission to China once border settings are changed to allow travel to her country’s biggest trading partner as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ardern said she had expressed her hopes to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), during talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bangkok last month, which had been their first in-person meeting since 2018.
“I do hope to return to China in person when the settings allow, and I discussed with the president our ambition of taking a trade mission into China early next year — a plan that was welcomed by the President,” Ardern told a meeting of the New Zealand-China Council in Auckland.
Photo: Reuters
Ardern said New Zealand’s trade and economic links with China have proven resilient, despite the challenges of COVID-19.
Her comments came just two days after China announced it was dismantling key parts of its strict “zero COVID-19” policy, in a much-needed move to give momentum to a flagging economy.
Delivering a speech marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ardern said New Zealand’s relationship with China was important, but complex and evolving.
“We continue to recognize that there are areas where China and New Zealand do not agree, where our interests or worldview differ,” Ardern said.
She added that in those areas where New Zealand and China disagreed, her government remained willing to engage, but would always advocate for New Zealand’s interests and values, and speak out when needed.
“We do this predictably, consistently and respectfully,” she said.
During the talks in Bangkok, Ardern discussed bilateral relations and areas of cooperation with Xi, while also raising concerns about the Taiwan Strait and human rights.
New Zealand has long been seen as the moderate, even absent, voice on China in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, but it this year adopted a tougher tone after China and the Solomon Islands struck a security pact.
While Australia’s relationship with China has deteriorated, New Zealand and China’s interactions have remained largely cordial.
In a separate interview on Thursday, Arden spoke of China’s growing assertiveness.
“There’ll be a whole host of reasons for that,” she said. “Their integration into the regional economy, the growth of China, the growth of its middle class, a whole range of reasons.”
“You have also seen a more assertive approach on a number of different issues and relationships, so that undoubtedly has changed over my time in office,” she added.
Additional reporting by AP
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