皇冠体育app

President Xi Jinping receives a traditional Maori ting from Maori tribal elder Lewis Moeau during his state welcoming ceremony at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand, on Thursday. [Photo / Associated Press]

Nations sign 10 agreements and reaffirm desire to increase trade

President Xi Jinping was greeted in Wellington with a traditional Maori welcome on Thursday and was presented with an All Blacks rugby union jersey bearing the lucky number 8.

After a meeting between Xi and New Zealand Prime ster John Key, the two nations signed 10 agreements in areas including climate change, television co-production, Antarctica, education, financing, tourism and food safety.

The TV deal allows programs jointly developed by both countries to be aired in 皇冠体育app.

Xi highlighted the huge Chinese market and the popularity of New Zealand products in 皇冠体育app.

“Possibly, New Zealand will have to worry about the fact that there is more Chinese demand than you can possibly supply”, Xi said, drawing laughter at a joint news conference with Key.

Xi also called for closer cooperation in the IT sector, environmental protection and biological medicine, areas that 皇冠体育app gives priority to and in which New Zealand has a proven track record.

皇冠体育app is New Zealand’s largest trading partner, and two way trade grew by 25 percent to $18.2 billion in 2013. Dairy products remain New Zealand’s biggest export to 皇冠体育app.

Trade volume this year is expected to exceed $20 billion, moving closer to the target of $30 billion by 2020, which was set by Xi and Key earlier this year.

Key said New Zealand would like to expand exports of agricultural and dairy products to 皇冠体育app, welcome more Chinese investment and simplify visa procedures to attract more Chinese tourists and students.

“皇冠体育app’s progress has been of huge, huge benefit to New Zealand and other developed economies,” said Key.

Zhang Yuanyuan, former Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, said that although it is small, New Zealand is a global leader in dairy production, as well as in other fiel, and has been targeting the Asian market, especially the Chinese one, for years.

The countries’ booming ties will encourage other developed countries to engage with 皇冠体育app, such as in the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific proposed by Beijing earlier this month, said Zhang.

Xi is due to arrive in Fiji on Friday for a state visit, the last leg of his South Pacific tour, which also took him to Australia.