PM locks in awaited meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Second time lucky... Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday; Trip cut short due to terror attacks

25th Mar 19, 5:11pm by Jenée Tibshraeny

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Monday.

Her planned visit to China at the end of last year was put on hold due to “scheduling issues” on China’s part.

Now, the Christchurch mosque attacks have prompted Ardern to change the plan and cut her trip to a fleeting 24 hours.

Ardern had planned to take a business delegation with her and for the trip to include a visit to three cities. However she said under the circumstances this "didn't seem appropriate".

"We’re extremely grateful for the understanding China has shown," she said, noting the visit had been planned some weeks ago.

“This is an important visit. New Zealand places a high priority on our relationship with China.

“I expect discussions will include a broad range of bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest, including on upgrading our free trade agreement, protecting and promoting our rules-based international trading system and combatting climate change.”

The announcement follows a period of the New Zealand-China relationship coming under particular public scrutiny, with critics saying diplomatic relations have worsened.

Friction has stemmed from New Zealand's external spy agency deciding to block China's Huawei from building a 5G network, partly due to concerns over spying and the company's proximity to the Chinese Government.

Ardern, during her visit, will also talk to members of the business community and will officially open the new New Zealand embassy in China.

Trade Minister David Parker will travel to China to attend a Belt and Road conference with a business delegation later in April.

We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment

Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.

12 Comments

by Kate | 25th Mar 19, 10:44pm 1553507093

Wow - the work pace of a PM is always grueling, but wow, that's a long way to go for 24 hours. Absolutely necessary but big respect. Right call too.

by IT GUY | 25th Mar 19, 11:13pm 1553508802

Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable.

Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy. In a connection, the most inconsiderable man, by adding to the weight of the whole, has his value, and his use; out of it, the greatest talents are wholly unserviceable to the public. No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavours, are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious citizens.

When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.

–Edmund Burke, Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents 82-83 (1770) in: Select Works of Edmund Burke, vol. 1, p. 146 (Liberty Fund ed. 1999).

by murray86 | 26th Mar 19, 9:08am 1553544490

Burke, in very flowery speech nails it with the possible exception that he appears to make the assumption that the "ambitious" are ordinary citizens. How then for JA to accost the various national leaders, some of opposing ideologies, who are ambitious for themselves and/or their nations, "to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious". Especially when we are but a minnow in an ocean of sharks?

are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious

by theglc | 26th Mar 19, 7:52am 1553539927

I wonder, given the ChCh terror attacks if this would be a good time to discuss the XinJiang Re education programs...

No..... no.... we can just turn a blind eye to that one.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang_re-education_camps..

by Lapun | 26th Mar 19, 9:08am 1553544531

Yes a suitable time for Jacinda to teach President Xi about Islamaphobia.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/03/26/505712/chinese-group-return-2-mil…

by RickStrauss | 26th Mar 19, 10:34am 1553549662

Not to mention the kidnapping of the panchen lama in an effort to undermine Tibetan buddhism:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-32771242

Religious tolerance, eh.

by xingmowang | 26th Mar 19, 9:28am 1553545705

Sigh~~~

This government is likely to be in the office for the next three years.

However, this may completely change if JA raises any concerns over any issues related Tibet, Xin Jiang, South China sea and Taiwan during her trip.

by flebus | 26th Mar 19, 10:36am 1553549765

I know, right? More compulsive virtue signalling or more cowering/kowtowing to Emperor Xi.

Decisions, decisions.

by xingmowang | 26th Mar 19, 11:23am 1553552583

not really about cowering or kowtowing to anyone.

it is a simple principle called "none of your business", especially when there is virtually no experts in NZ on those issues to make a right call.

by Lapun | 26th Mar 19, 4:11pm 1553569907

The evidence on the internet from reputable sources often quoting Chinese publications is overwhelming. Well maybe not overwhelming to our govt which stays strangely quiet when other countries protest. There is no reason for NZ to make a statement of our own but our govt should be showing support for those countries that are willing to speak up. Our parliament is like Britain's was before WW2 except it is missing a Winston Churchill so we are 100% appeasement.

by FleurK. | 28th Mar 19, 12:19pm 1553728769

We now have a Chamberlain down under

by powerdownkiwi | 28th Mar 19, 12:45pm 1553730334

"Rice in our time"