New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he will visit China at the end of this month at the head of a trade delegation.
The New Zealand delegation would include representatives of a wide range of sectors including dairy, tourism, education and gaming, Hipkins told a weekly media conference.
China is New Zealand largest trading partner with New Zealand’s exports there worth more than NZ$20 billion a year.
New Zealand, part of the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance that includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States, has historically taken a more conciliatory approach towards China than its allies.
Unlike Australia, New Zealand has not faced Chinese trade barriers in connection with various disputes in recent years.
However, New Zealand has increasingly raised concerns about China, in part over the possible militarization in the Pacific, where China has been extending its influence.
Hipkins said New Zealand prided itself on its relationship with China being stable and consistent.
This will be Hipkins first visit to China since he became leader in January when former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stood down. He travelled to Papua New Guinea this year for a U.S.-Pacific Summit.
