NZ: China Premier set for official NZ trade visit

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It said Mr Li would visit Australia and New Zealand between 22 and 29 March.

The Prime Minister’s office has confirmed the visit – and says more details will be released this afternoon.

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Mr Li is the second-ranked member of the Chinese government, after President Xi Jinping who visited New Zealand in November 2015.

He is an economist and is in charge of the country’s economic policy.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Photo: AFP

He is ranked by Forbes magazine as the 12th most powerful person in the world.

Xinhua reported Mr Li would be making the visit at the invitation of the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers.

The government earlier would not confirm Mr Li’s visit, but the Australian leg had previously been confirmed by its foreign minister.

A University of Canterbury professor of international relations,

Anne-Marie Brady,

said she believed New Zealand would focus on free-trade talks.

 

 

China wants to push ahead with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a 16-nation trade deal that would include New Zealand, Australia and China.

There has also been reports that China is interested in joining a revived Trans Pacific Partnership, which the United States pulled out of after Donald Trump was elected President.

The previous Premier, Wen Jiabao, made at least one visit a year from 2000 to 2006, while Mr Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao visited in 1999 and 2003.

-RNZ

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