China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit New Zealand next week. Photo: AFP
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit New Zealand for the first time in seven years next week.
Wang will meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters in Wellington for a bilateral meeting and official dinner.
Peters said he looked forward to re-engaging with Wang, who he met with during his last stint as foreign affairs minister. The two spoke on the phone in December.
"Trade between New Zealand and China, as well as strong people-to-people, cultural and business links, has delivered significant benefits to both our countries," Peters said in a statement.
He described the bilateral relationship with China as one of New Zealand's most important and complex.
"It is 10 years since the New Zealand China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was agreed. It is timely therefore to discuss how New Zealand and China can best work together over the next decade, while building a strong understanding of our respective perspectives," he said.
Peters said the ministers would also discuss regional and global issues, including the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Wang also visited New Zealand in 2014 and 2017.
The last face-to-face meeting between respective foreign ministers took place in Beijing last March, when Nanaia Mahuta met with Qin Gang, who briefly replaced Wang from December 2022 to July 2023.