China, NZ agree to scale up trade ties

China and New Zealand have agreed to scale up bilateral trade and bolster cooperation in e-commerce, trade in services, the green economy and establish a dialogue mechanism for new energy vehicles, according to a joint statement released by the two countries on Wednesday.

The joint statement came after talks between Premier Li Qiang and New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Beijing.

New Zealand supports China's efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as Beijing's participation in ongoing talks over China's joining the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, the statement said.

Li, who hosted a welcoming ceremony for Hipkins at a red carpet ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, said that China will become more open, and the nation stands ready to share with New Zealand opportunities from its high-quality development.

He called upon both nations to forge new drivers for growth in emerging sectors, jointly champion free trade and support cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, saying that bilateral cooperation on education and tourism must be advanced to build up people-to-people exchanges.

Hipkins said his country remains steadfast in following the one-China policy and looks forward to opportunities from China's greater strides in opening-up. He urged better bilateral communication and coordination over issues related to Pacific Island countries, and urged joint efforts to promote economic recovery and the response to climate change.

Hipkins also extended an invitation for more Chinese entrepreneurs, tourists and students to go to New Zealand.

The two nations signed agreements to improve cooperation on agriculture and quarantine requirements for the export of kiwi fruit from New Zealand to China.

China is the largest export market and source of imports for New Zealand, with bilateral trade volume reaching $25.15 billion in 2022, up 1.8 percent year-on-year.

Mongolia

The Chinese premier also held a welcoming ceremony for visiting Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene in Beijing on Wednesday.

During their talks, Li said that China stands ready to work with Mongolia to continue enriching the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, deepen political mutual trust and win-win cooperation, and accelerate the building of a bilateral community with a shared future. The two nations should extend support to each other on issues relating to respective core interests and major concerns, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various sectors, he said.

The premier urged both sides to better align development strategies, promote the high-quality building of the Belt and Road and enable unimpeded trade and investment. It is also important to scale up cooperation in the mining and energy sectors, strengthen connectivity at border ports, and deepen cooperation over control and prevention of desertification, Li said.

Oyun-Erdene said that enhancing cooperation with China is Mongolia's foreign policy priority, adding that his country looks forward to aligning its long-term development strategy with major initiatives proposed by China.

The two sides should scale up cooperation over ports, mining and desertification control to elevate bilateral relations to new heights, he added.