Leaders of China, NZ discuss trade, security in Pacific region

Xi urges seeking of common ground, while Luxon calls meeting in Beijing 'constructive'

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BEIJING/SYDNEY - The leaders of China and New Zealand discussed on June 20 the role of trade in boosting ties, while New Zealand also pressed its interests for peace and security in the Pacific, government statements showed.

President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met in Beijing's Great Hall of the People as China's influence grows in the Pacific, challenging the traditionally stronger security foothold many Western nations have had there.

On his first visit to China since taking office in November 2023, Mr Luxon discussed the need for stability, less tension in the Indo-Pacific and New Zealand's "enduring support for Pacific-led priorities", his government said in a statement.

Mr Luxon's meeting with the leader of New Zealand's biggest trade partner was "constructive", he said in a post on social media platform X.