China's desire for NZ to help sort out its food safety crisis is a commercial risk well worth taking, Prime Minister John Key said today in the NZ Herald. Key met Premier Wen Jiabao overnight with both men toasting the health of the relationship and the desire to build on the one-year-old trade deal between the two countries. It is the first visit by a New Zealand leader since the poisoned milk scandal swept through China. Premier Wen said as far as they were concerned they saw Sanlu as a single isolated incident that was behind us now... In particular he made reference to wanting to work with NZ in the development of food safety standards.' Despite its involvement, Fonterra's exports to China have boomed since the poisoned milk scandal because Chinese households were seeking safe food, while Chinese farmers were in crisis because a lack of public confidence in their produce. Key said NZ would work with the Chinese to see if our food safety expertise and technology was exportable.From our point of view we want to play a long term role in the development of the agricultural sector. So if we can become a significant partner with China that gives us a big advantage,' Mr Key said. They see New Zealand as the big player.' Asked if this might undermine NZ farmers by making China a strong competitor, Key said: ``There is always some risk there, but you can't stop selling cows to them or the like, they will just go and buy them from Australia or somewhere else.'NZ could try and resist the economic giant's growth or work alongside the Chinese, and Mr Key believed it was better to form partnerships.
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