New Zealand

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)

Governor-General: Dame Silvia Cartwright (2001)

Prime Minister: Helen Clark (1999)

Area: 103,737 sq mi (268,680 sq km) (excluding dependencies)

Population (2003 est.): 3,951,307 (growth rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 14.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 6.1/1000; density per sq mi: 38

Capital: Wellington

Largest cities (est. 1995): Auckland, 952,600; Wellington, 331,100; Christchurch, 324,400

Monetary unit: New Zealand dollar

Languages:  English (official), Maori

Ethnicity/race: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%

Religions: Christian 81%, none or unspecified 18%, Hindu, Confucian, and other 1%

Literacy rate: 99% (1980)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2001 est.): $75.4 billion; per capita $19,500. Real growth rate: 3.1%. Inflation: 2.6%. Unemployment: 5.5%. Arable land: 5.8%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish. Labor force: 1.92 million: services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995). Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining. Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone. Exports: $14.2 billion (2001 est.): dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery. Imports: $12.5 billion (2001 est.): machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics. Major trading partners: Australia, U.S., Japan, UK, South Korea, China, Germany.

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.92 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.2 million (2000). Radio broadcast stations: AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998). Radios: 3.75 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 1.926 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 36 (2000). Internet users: 1.78 million (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,908 km (2001). Highways: total: 92,200 km; paved: 53,568 km (including at least 144 km of expressways); unpaved: 38,632 km (1996). Waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation. Ports and harbors: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington. Airports: 106 (2001).

International disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency).

Political relations between China and New Zealand

A. Chinese Visits to New Zealand

¡¡¡¡Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand on 22 December 1972, the bilateral relations between China and New Zealand have witnessed a smooth development with frequent exchanges of visits and contacts between the leaders of the two nations.

¡¡¡¡Ulanhu, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,visited New Zealand from 20 to 27 September,1997. Mr. Ulanfu held separate meetings with Sir. Denis Blundell, Governor General of New Zealand, acting Prime Minister Rt. Hon. B.E. Talboys, and Opposition Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

¡¡¡¡In March 1979, Vice Premier Chen Muhua visited New Zealand. During the visit, Mme. Chen met with Sir. Keith Jacka Holyoake, Governor General of New Zealand. Rt. Hon. R. D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Rt. Hon. B. E. Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister hosted separate welcoming banquets for Vice Premier Chen. Mme. Chen also met with the Opposition Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

¡¡¡¡Vice Premier Li Xiannian visited New Zealand in May 1980 and held separate meetings with Sir. R. D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and the Opposition Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

¡¡¡¡Zhu Xuefan, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visited New Zealand from 30 November to 8 December 1982. Mr. Zhu held separate meetings with Sir David Stuart Beattie, Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Robert David Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Richard Harrison, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Opposition Leader Wallace Edward Rowling.

¡¡¡¡Hu Yaobang, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPC, paid a visit to New Zealand in April 1985. Mr. Hu Yaobang held talks with Rt. Hon. David Russell Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and met with the former Prime Minister Robert David Muldoon.

¡¡¡¡Vice Premier Wan Li visited New Zealand in September 1986. He held separate meetings with Rt. Hon. David Russell Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Geoffrey W. R. Palmer, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Sir Gerry Wall, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

¡¡¡¡In 1987, China and New Zealand agreed to establish a mechanism for the two foreign ministries to conduct annual political consultation at vice ministerial level. The consultation would be held in turns in each other's capital.

¡¡¡¡Sun Qimeng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, paid a visit to New Zealand in August 1988. Mr. Sun met with Rt. Hon. Geoffrey W. R. Palmer, Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Russell Marshall, Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Opposition Leader James Brendan Bolger, and Sir Kerry Burke, Speaker of the House of Representative of New Zealand.

¡¡¡¡In November 1988, Premier Li Peng visited New Zealand. Premier Li held talks with Prime Minister David Russell Lange and met with the Most Reverend Sir Paul Alfred Reeves, Governor General of New Zealand, and Opposition Leader James Brendan Bolger.

¡¡¡¡Vice Premier Zhu Rongji paid a visit to New Zealand in February 1992 at the invitation of New Zealand Government. Vice Premier Zhu held separate meetings with Dame Catherine Tizard, Governor General of New Zealand, Rt. Hon.James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Opposition Leader Helen Clark. Zhu also had talks with Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

¡¡¡¡President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, during APEC leaders informal meetings in Seattle in November 1993.

¡¡¡¡Tian Jiyun, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visited New Zealand in 1994. Tian held meetings with Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Peter Tapsell, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

¡¡¡¡State Councilor Chen Junsheng visited New Zealand in February 1995.

¡¡¡¡Vice Premier Zou Jiahua visited New Zealand in June 1995. Zou held meetings with Dame Catherine Tizard, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, and Deputy Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon.

¡¡¡¡President Jiang Zemin met with New Zealand Prime Minister James Brendan Bolger in New York in October 1995 when attending the special commemoration conference marking the 50th anniversary of founding of the UN.

¡¡¡¡Premier Li Peng met with Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, in Auckland in November 1996 during a stopover on his way to Chile.

¡¡¡¡Vice Premier Zhu Rongji visited New Zealand in June 1997 at the invitation of New Zealand Government. Zhu held separate meetings with Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon. Vice Premier Zhu also held talks with Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Treasurer of New Zealand.

¡¡¡¡President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, during the 5th APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Vancouver in November 1997.

¡¡¡¡Li Ruihuan, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, visited New Zealand in December 1997. Chairman Li met with Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon and Opposition Leader Helen Clark. Li gave a speech at the reception hosted by Prime Minister Shipley in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

¡¡¡¡Tung Chee-Hwa, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, visited New Zealand in June 1998. Mr. Tung held meetings with Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Minister of Finance Rt. Hon. Bill Birch and Opposition Leader Helen Clark.

¡¡¡¡Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of CPC Central Committee, visited New Zealand in September 1998. Wei met with Sir. Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley and other New Zealand leaders.

¡¡¡¡President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand, during the 6th APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in November 1998.

¡¡¡¡At the invitation of Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to New Zealand after attending the APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Auckland in September 1999. This is the first visit to New Zealand ever by the Chinese head of state. During the visit, President Jiang met with Governor General Boys and held talks with Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the steady development of the bilateral relations and the positive progress made in the cooperation in various fields over the past 27 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

¡¡¡¡At the invitation of the New Zealand Parliament, Mr. Zhou Guangzhao, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, paid a visit to New Zealand in February, 2000. In the capital city of Wellington, Mr. Zhou met with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, the Speaker of the Parliament, Rt Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Peter Hodgson, Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and Hon. Jenny Shipley, Leader of the Opposition. In Auckland, Mr. Zhou attended the banquet hosted by Hon. Phil Goff, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with the Mayor of Auckland, representatives of the New Zealand Chinese and Chinese student.

¡¡¡¡Mr. Zeng Qinghong, Alternate Member of the Politburo, Member of Secretariat and Minister of the Organization Department of the C.P.C. Central Committee, led a delegation to visit New Zealand in March 2000. Mr Zeng met respectively with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Margaret Wilson, Attorney-General, Hon. Trevor Mallard, Minister of State Services, Hon. Max Bradford, former Minister of Defense and the representative of Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Leader of the Opposition, and attended the welcoming banquet hosted by Attorney-General Hon Margaret Wilson.

¡¡¡¡Mr. Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, held a bilateral meeting with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the Parliament of New Zealand during the Conferences of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments in September 2000.

¡¡¡¡Mr. Jia Qinglin, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee visited New Zealand in May 2001. Mr. Jia held separate meetings with Rt. Hon. Jim Anderton, Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Parekura Horomia, Minister of Maori Affairs, and Hon. Bill English, Deputy Leader of Opposition.

¡¡¡¡Buhe, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress visited New Zealand in December 2001. He met with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Jim Anderton, acting Prime Minister, Hon. Margaret Wilson, the Attorney General, Hon. Matt Robson, Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and Hon. Rodger Sowry, Deputy Leader of Opposition.

¡¡¡¡Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan visited New Zealand in March 2002. Mr. Tang held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Hon. Phil Goff. He also called on the Rt. Hon. Sylvia Cartwright, Governor-General, Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of the New Zealand-China Parliamentary Friendship Group.

¡¡¡¡Mr. Wu Guanzheng, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC of Shandong Province visited New Zealand in April 2002. He met with Rt. Hon. Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister and Hon. Jim Sutton, Minister of Agriculture and Trade Negotiations.

¡¡¡¡Mme. Peng Peiyun, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress visited New Zealand in June 2002, and met with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand.

¡¡¡¡At the invitation of Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, Yang Rudai, Vice Chairperson of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference visited New Zealand from 15 to 18 December 2002, and met with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister and Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr Yang attended the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

¡¡¡¡On 22 December 2002, Premier Zhu Rongji and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan exchanged congrutulatory messages on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, and Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade respectively.

¡¡¡¡Mr.Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress attended the reception held in Beijing celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

¡¡¡¡B. New Zealanders' visits to China

¡¡¡¡The Honourable J. A. Walding, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Overseas Trade and Environment of New Zealand, visited China from 27 March to 3 April 1973.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. R. D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China from 28 April to 5 May 1976.

¡¡¡¡Sir Roy Jack, Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, visited China from 5 to 18 April 1977.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. B. E. Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Overseas Trade, visited China from 25 October to 1 November, 1977.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. B. E. Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, visited China in May 1979.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Robert David Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China in September 1980.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. David Russell Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China in March 1986.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Geoffrey W. R. Palmer, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, visited China in March 1987. The two sides signed the Agreement between the Governments of the People's Republic of China and New Zealand on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Minister and Trade visited China in April 1992. Premier Li Peng, Vice Premier Zhu Rongji and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen held separate meetings and talks with him.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China in May 1993. President Jiang Zemin and Vice Premier Zhu Rongji held respective meeting and talks with him. Prime Minister Bolger addressed NZ-China Business Forum luncheon hosted by the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing. Vice Premier Li Lanqing attended the luncheon and responsed with a speech..

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade visited China in July 1995 at the invitation of Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. Chairman of the National People's Congress, Qiao Shi, met with the visiting Deputy Prime Minister. Vice Premier Zou Jiahua hosted a welcoming banquet for him. Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen held talks with McKinnon.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of New Zealand, visited China in September 1997. Vice Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice President Rong Yiren, and Ismail Amat, State Councilor and Chairman of Nationality Affairs Committee, held separate meetings with Peters.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China in November 1997. Premier Li Peng held talks with Bolger. Vice Premier Zhu Rongji and Chairman of CPPCC Li Ruihuan, held separate meetings with him. Prime Minister Bolger attended the reception hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited China together with Tauranga city's goodwill delegation in February 1998. Chairman of CPPCC Li Ruihuan met with him.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, visited China in October 1998. Vice President Hu Jintao, Vice Premier Qian Qichen and State Councilor Wu Yi held separate meetings with him. Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan held talks with his New Zealand counterpart. Both sides agreed to establish a mechanism for annual consultation on regional security at vice ministerial level.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand, paid a working visit to China in July 1999. President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and State Councilor Wu Yi held separate meetings and talks with Shipley.

¡¡¡¡Hon. Jim Sutton, Minister of Trade Negotiations and Minister of Agriculture visited China in March, 2000 at the invitation of Mr. Shi Guangsheng, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. State Councilor Wu Yi, Mr. Zeng Peiyan, Minister of State Development Planning Commission and Mr. Chen Yao Bang, Minister of Agricultrue held separate meetings with Sutton, and Minister Shi Guangsheng held talks with him.

¡¡¡¡Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade visited China in August, 2000 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan,. During his stay in Beijing, Premier Zhu Rongji met with Goff, and Minister Tang Jiaxuan held a talk with him.

¡¡¡¡H.E. the Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor-General of New Zealand, and Lady Hardie Boys paid their first state visit to China at the invitation of President Jiang Zeming from 30 November to 6 December 2000. During his stay in Beijing, President Jiang Zeming and Premier Zhu Rongji held separate meetings with him. He also met with Mr Xiao Yang, President of the Supreme People's Court of China. Hon. Parekura Horomia, Minister of Maori Affairs and Associate Minister of Education, who accompanied Governor-General Boys during the visit, met respectively with Mr. Li De Zhu, Chairman of Nationality Affairs Committee, and Mr Lu Fuyuan, Vice Minister of Education.

¡¡¡¡Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand paid an official visit to China at the invitation of Premier Zhu Rongji in April 2001. During the visit, she called on President Jiang Zemin, and held talks with Premier Zhu. She also met with Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, and State Councilor Mme. Wu Yi. Besides Beijing, Ms. Clark also visited Shanghai and Hong Kong.

¡¡¡¡Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand paid a working visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region at the invitation of Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in May 2001.

¡¡¡¡Prime Minister Clark and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Goff attended the Shanghai APEC meeting in October. President Jiang Zemin met with Clark, and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Goff.

¡¡¡¡Hon. Jim Sutton, Minister of Trade Negotiations leading a delegation of enterpreneurs, paid an official visit to China in March 2002?Mr. Sutton held talks with Mr. Shi Guangsheng, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

¡¡¡¡As a special envoy of Hon. Jim Sutton, Minister of Trade Negotiations, Mr. Michael Green, deputy Secretary-general of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, paid an official visit to China in October 2002. Mr. Green met with Ma Xiuhong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Zhou Mingwei, Deputy Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Zhou Wenzhong, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.

¡¡¡¡Hon. Jim Sutton, Minister of Trade Negotiations leading a delegation of enterpreneurs, visited Guizhou Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province in December 2002.

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)