Leaders of China, New Zealand discuss trade, Pacific security

The leaders of China and New Zealand discussed on Friday 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 the capital'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. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. On his first visit to China since taking office in November 2023, 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.Luxon's meeting with the leader of New Zealand's biggest trade partner was "constructive", he said in a post on X."We discussed the depth of the New Zealand-China relationship - from trade and people-to-people ties to our shared global responsibilities," he said. "In a complex world, open dialogue is more important than ever.

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The remarks came after New Zealand aired concerns this year when Cook Islands, with which it has constitutional ties, signed pacts with China without first consulting it, including one for cooperation on the economy, infrastructure and seabed mining. Luxon also backed up the role of the Pacific Islands Forum, an inter-government body seeking to foster cooperation among Oceanic countries and territories. Without making specific reference to any issue, Xi called for both countries to seek common ground and view differences "accurately", state news agency Xinhua said. "There are no historical grudges or conflicts of interest between China and New Zealand, s