New Zealand seeking to build strong, multi-faceted relationship with China(2)

ATTRACTING TOURISTS

New Zealand also needed to spend more money to promote the country as a tourist destination to a wider range of Chinese travelers, Key said.

The number of Chinese visitors to the country were increasing rapidly, up 35 percent last year to 200,000, but that was just "a very small fraction" of total Chinese trips abroad, he said.

New Zealand could use "brand ambassadors" for more promotion, said the prime minister, citing Chinese actress Yao Chen, who held a wedding ceremony in the South Island ski resort of Queenstown in November last year and broadcast photos of the event to around 35 million social media followers.

The country also had to tailor its appeal to a wider range of Chinese tourists, he added.

"You've got a very broad range of tourists who could be interested in quite different segments of the New Zealand tourist offering, so we just need to spend more money in that market to promote New Zealand."

Partnerships with airlines like China Southern to speed up visa processing and familiarization tours for Chinese travel agents were also important in promoting New Zealand, he said.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Key said New Zealand welcomed China as a partner for development projects in the Pacific region.

At the Pacific Islands Forum held in August last year, the governments of the Cook Islands, China and New Zealand announced a joint project to improve the water mains system in Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands, in the first joint development initiative between New Zealand and China in the region.

"New Zealand wants to make sure that those countries progress well because it's actually in our national interest as well, and as we proved in Rarotonga, we can actually undertake a project which the three of us can all benefit from: the country that's getting the aid, in this case a reticulated water plant, and China and New Zealand collaborating together."

"I think that's a sign hopefully of how we can work together in other countries around the Pacific," Key said.

FOOD SAFETY

Chinese consumers could have the utmost confidence in New Zealand food products, after revelations in January of traces of dicyandiamide (DCD), a pasture treatment chemical, in dairy products highlighted the sophistication of the country's testing regime.

"New Zealand's strength as the largest dairy exporter and largest sheep meat exporter as well as a very significant exporter of food rests on the fact that consumers right around the world can have confidence that food produced in New Zealand will be of this very, very high standard," Key said.

"We invest hugely in the technology, know-how and systems, and we will always treasure that role we have in the responsibility we put in that area because it's very important to New Zealand," he added.

QUAKE TRAGEDY REGRETS

New Zealand deeply regretted the deaths of Asian students in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Key said.

The 6.3-magnitude quake killed 185 people, including 64 Asian students -- over 20 from the Chinese mainland -- studying at an English language school in the Canterbury Television (CTV) building, which collapsed and burned in the quake.

He said the vast majority of overseas students in New Zealand had a very safe and happy experience and came out with a world class education.

"I think one of the nice things about New Zealand is we're friendly; the pastoral care we can provide to students is at a high level. There's also a large Chinese population here in New Zealand so it's not likely they would feel completely unfamiliar or have significant language issues," Key said.

Key's seven-day visit from April 6 will include a meeting with President Xi Jinping at the annual Bo'ao Forum for Asia conference on April 7. Key will also be officially welcomed by Premier Li Keqiang at Beijing's Great Hall of the People and visit the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai.