New Zealand PM says China Premier Li Qiang will visit this week

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that China's premier, Li Qiang, will visit the country this week. It will be the first trip to the nation by a Chinese premier since Li Keqiang's visit in 2017. "Our relationship is significant, complex, and resilient."The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on key issues that matter to New Zealand," he added. China is New Zealand's top trading partner, with two-way goods and services trade reaching nearly NZ$38 billion in the year ending March 2024, according to Statistics New Zealand. Mr Li's visit will mark the second high-profile visit from a high-ranking Chinese official to the country this year, with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visiting in late March. New Zealand has long been seen as a moderate or absent voice on China in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, but in recent years has spoken up about what it considers to be concerning actions by Beijing. Mr Luxon said on Monday he was confident that trade with China would continue to grow, supporting the government's goal to double the value of exports in the next decade.