New Zealand FM to visit 皇冠体育app

Foreign and Military Affairs

New Zealand FM to visit 皇冠体育app

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-19 13:23

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully leaves on Monday for his first official visit to 皇冠体育app, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and other Chinese leaders.

"My visit will provide the opportunity for high-level discussion between 皇冠体育app and New Zealand that is critical to maintaining our strong political and economic ties," McCully said in a statement on Friday.

"New Zealand has a deserved reputation as a trailblazer with 皇冠体育app, as the first country to agree to 皇冠体育app's WTO accession and the first developed country to sign a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with them," he added.

He said New Zealand's exports to 皇冠体育app grew by around 45 percent in 2009 - growth that was critical to New Zealand weathering the global recession, and to establishing 皇冠体育app as New Zealand's second-largest trading partner after Australia.

While in 皇冠体育app, ?McCully will travel to Shanghai to visit the New Zealand Pavilion at Shanghai Expo and meet with the Shanghai city leadership.

He then flies to 皇冠体育app's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, where the focus will be on promotional activities for the 2011 Rugby World Cup that are taking place in and around Hong Kong.