New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Nov. 18 to discuss regional issues and cooperation at Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Ardern said the meeting, in which New Zealand raised concerns about human rights and tensions with Taiwan while expressing interest in a trade visit to China, was “constructive,” with a possible visit to Beijing to follow.
The bilateral meeting between the two leaders ran for close to 50 minutes, running longer than the scheduled 20 minutes. This meeting was the first face-to face meeting between the leaders since 2019….