On March 23, 2023, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng attended upon invitation the reception hosted by the Embassy of New Zealand in China welcoming New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s visit to China. Ambassador of New Zealand to China Grahame Robert Morton, and responsible officials of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Education, among others, attended the event.

In his remarks, Xie Feng quoted a Maori proverb of New Zealand that without foresight or vision people will be lost. Last year, China and New Zealand jointly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and leaders of the two countries successfully held a meeting in Bangkok, showing a clear direction for the development of China-New Zealand relations. China is now advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nations on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. New Zealand’s government led by the Labour Party has also set development goals by 2030. It is the right timing for China and New Zealand to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve more outcomes. The two sides should remain committed to the principle of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win results, to constantly take China-New Zealand relations to new levels. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s grandfather presented a Māori cloak to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1957, and this has carried forward the friendship between China and New Zealand. Xie Feng expressed his confidence that with the support and care of the two sides, the tree of friendly cooperation between China and New Zealand earnestly nurtured by the two peoples will grow into an exuberant tree laden with fruits.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said that the comprehensive strategic partnership between New Zealand and China goes beyond the scope of economy and trade, delivering tangible benefits to the two sides. She hopes that this visit can demonstrate the importance that New Zealand attaches to New Zealand-China relations. She expressed the readiness to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to carry forward and increase the friendship between the two peoples, in a bid to continuously advance the development of bilateral relations.