Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will meet with her Chinese counterpart when she departs for China tomorrow.
Mahuta will meet State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in the capital Beijing.
It will mark the first time a New Zealand minister will visit China since 2019, following the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions between the two countries.
"New Zealand’s relationship with China is one of our most important, complex and wide-ranging," Mahuta said this afternoon in a statement.
"Last year we marked 50 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries."
Mahuta said the country "is integral to New Zealand’s economic recovery but our relationship is far broader – spanning cultural, educational and sporting links".
A number topics will be on the agenda, including human rights, the environment and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I intend to discuss areas where we cooperate, such as on trade, people-to-people and climate and environmental issues. I will continue to advocate for approaches and outcomes that reflect New Zealand’s interests and values, including on human rights," she said.
"I also intend to raise New Zealand’s concerns about key regional and global security challenges, including the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine."
She will also meet with business leaders and hold an event with women leaders.
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