Speaking at this week's post-Cabinet media briefing, Chris Hipkins has annouced a trip to China, the first prime minister-led trade delegation since 2016.
"The relationship with China is one of New Zealand's most significant, wide-ranging and complex. Our trade links, underpinned by our recently upgraded free trade agreement, have proven incredibly resilient in recent years."
Exports to China were now worth more than $21b, a quarter of NZ's total export earnings, Hipkins said.
"It's also very critical that we throw our support behind emergning sectors, like gaming, health and wellness. And the makeup of the delegation I'll be taking to China reflects that, as one of our key objectives is to diversify the breadth of our export offering."
Tourism and education sectors would also represented in the delegation.
Hipkins did not confirm if he would be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Asked about human rights in relation to the trip, Hipkins said: "We've prided ourselves in our relationship with China of being stable and consistent in our position, and we will continue to be so. That means where we have human rights concerns, we will raise them".
"Where we have concerns around trade or any other foreign policy issue, we will raise those. Our relationship with China has always been based on setting out clearly our position, and being consistent in our position, and we'll continue to do that."
Asked, in relation to China, if New Zealand had ever been subject to economic coercion, or threats of it, Hipkins said: "We've always been very clear in our opposition to economic coercion. We believe in a rules-based system."
Asked about China's relationship with Ukraine and Russia, Hipkins said New Zealand's position was against the war, and urged China to help bring the "illegal and unjust war" to an end.
He said China was a valuable trade partner, but trade deals and discussions with other countries show a "really concerted effort" to diversify.
Hipkins would also be going to at NATO meeting in July in Lithuania; and before that, travelling to Brussels to discuss free trade.
It comes after both the National Party and Green Party announced policies they would implement if in power.
On Sunday, the National Party said it would oversee a rethink on the restrictions on genetic modification if it led the next government.
Party leader Christopher Luxon told TVNZ's Q&A programme: "There's been huge advances, very exciting advances in the technology - and actually what we need to do is end the effective ban on genetic technologies as we've been talking about, but also make sure that we've got good safeguards in place."
The current legislation - last amended 20 years ago - permitted genetic research in laboratories, but field trials outside the lab need approval.
Meanwhile, the Green Party announced its own plan for households to meet rising costs, with an "Income Guarantee" that would ensure no one got less than $385 a week in their pocket after tax - funded through higher taxes on top earners, trusts and businesses.
Party co-leader Marama Davidson said for couples, the Income Guarantee would be at least $770, while a single parent would always have an income of at least $735.
"This will give everyone peace of mind that they can always afford the weekly shop, pay the rent, or cover unexpected costs - even when times are tough," she said.
It would be funded through changes to the tax system which include a new top rate of income tax of 45 percent on income over $180,000 and a 2.5 percent Wealth Tax on assets.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
More to come...