WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Li Qiang met New Zealand government and business leaders on Friday, on the second day of a regional tour that includes neighbouring Australia and signals a warming in ties between the Pacific nations and their biggest trading partner.
Li began the day at New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, a government agency tasked with promoting the country's farming, food and beverage industries.
"He was really engaged, it was great to see the two-way dialogue actually, and he had a lot of questions as we walked around as well," said CEO Mark Piper, who gave Li a tour of their facility.
Li will meet more business leaders at a dinner in Auckland on Friday evening.
New Zealand and China on Thursday signed bilateral agreements on trade and climate during Li's trip, the highest level Chinese visit to New Zealand in seven years.
Beijing sees itself as a key part of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's plan to boost exports.
"We agreed that it is important to expand cooperation on trade and investment," Li said on Thursday.
"China is ready to be part of New Zealand's endeavour to double the value of exports in next decade."
But Luxon is also attempting to balance that with a more assertive stance on human rights and security, with both topics raised in a meeting with Li, Luxon said on Thursday.
Previously a more moderate voice on China, New Zealand's relationship with China has changed since the last time a Chinese premier visited in 2017.
New Zealand has toughened its stance this year, calling out Beijing for hacking the country's parliament and noting the growing threat China poses to security in the Pacific.