Enhanced relationship: New Zealand to enjoy visa-free policy from China

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives to attend the trilateral summit with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

The Chinese government has expressed readiness to include New Zealand into its unilateral visa-free policy, and hopes that New Zealand will on its part, provide more convenience for Chinese citizens to visit New Zealand.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Premier of the State Council, China, Li Qiang, during a talk with the Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon, at the Government House, Wellington, New Zealand.

Li highlighted China’s commitment to welcome more New Zealand businesses in China as both nations have been firm in supporting multilateralism, free trade, and building an open world economy.

“The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral settings, and encourage all parties to pull in the same direction toward win-win cooperation”, he added.

Li stated that his current visit to New Zealand coincided with the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the country and the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.

“Over the past decade, no matter how the international situation has changed, China and New Zealand have always respected each other with an inclusive spirit and focused on cooperation for common development, making significant progress in bilateral relations and setting many “firsts” in cooperation.”

He therefore pledged his country’s readiness to work with New Zealand to carry forward the traditional friendship and the spirit of “striving to be the first”, jointly promote development and further upgrade the comprehensive strategic partnerships to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

Li pointed out that the development of China and New Zealand means opportunities, not challenges to each other; as such, both sides should stay committed to mutual respect and mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual learning, and solidarity and coordination.

“China is ready to work with New Zealand to continue to scale up trade, tap into the potential of cooperation in such fields as digital economy, green economy, new energy vehicles and creative industry, and jointly promote regional economic cooperation.

“The two sides should work to remove the disturbance of non-economic factors to bilateral trade and economic relations, and provide stable expectations and a sound business environment for the operation and development of companies.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Luxon noted that since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between New Zealand and China, both sides have enjoyed robust growth in trade and economic relations and close personnel exchanges to the benefit of the two peoples.

He added that New Zealand firmly adheres to the One-China policy, and is ready to strengthen dialogue with China at both the top and other levels, further deepen cooperation in fields of agriculture, food, creative industry and environmental protection, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and promote sustained and in-depth development of bilateral relations.

“New Zealand is ready to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with China, promote coordination and cooperation within such multilateral frameworks as APEC, and work together with China to address global issues like climate change.”

Admitting that China-New Zealand relations have made satisfactory progress, the two Prime Ministers therefore agreed that both sides should continue to view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and promote sustained, sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

They also agreed to launch negotiations on the negative list of trade in services and consequently, they jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as service trade, business environment, export of agricultural and food products to China, science and technology, patent examination, and migratory birds’ protection.

Before the talks, Prime Minister Luxon held a grand welcome ceremony for Premier Li on the north lawn of the Government House in Wellington. The country had initially welcomed Premier Li with traditional Maori rituals after which Premier Li stepped onto the reviewing stand while the military band played the Chinese National Anthem, and a 19-gun salute fired on site.

Premier Li reviewed the guard of honour in a ceremony that was graced by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Cindy Kiro and her husband. Also present at both events was the Secretary General of the State Council, Wu Zhenglong.