“[The] Prime Ministers expressed concern about growing challenges to regional stability in a more contested and difficult world,” the pair said in a statement.
“They expressed serious concern over developments in the South China Sea and an intensification of destabilising activities,” and “concern about tensions across the Taiwan Strait”.
New Zealand had been reluctant to publicly criticise Beijing after growing its exports to China throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and during sanctions on Australian products such as wine and wool.
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In June,The Australianreported that New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta was given an hour-long dressing down by China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang in a meeting in Beijing in March. Qin was sacked forunrelated reasons on Tuesday night. The discussion was followed by a warning from China’s ambassador in Wellington,Wang Xiaolong,that New Zealand should not take its giant trade partner “for granted”.
Xi described his meeting with Hipkins in June as “very meaningful”.
“After taking office as prime minister,you have stated multiple times that you value China-New Zealand relations and will continue to strengthen co-operation with China,” Xi said.