New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will lead a delegation of 29 people to China next week to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other high-ranking Chinese officials.
“Since becoming Prime Minister, I’ve prioritised working in partnership with business to boost export growth in order to grow our economy,” Hipkins said.
“China represents nearly a quarter of all our exports, was our second largest source of tourists pre-COVID and is a significant source of international students, so it’s a critical part of our economic recovery.”
This marks the first visit to China by a New Zealand prime minister since former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who visited Beijing just before the COVID-19 pandemic….