BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement, the first such pact between China and a developed country, on Monday.

    The deal was inked by Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark attended the signing ceremony after bilateral talks that took over an hour.

    The signing and implementation of the agreement will "further the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, promote each other's economic growth, and bring practical benefits to the two peoples," Wen said at the beginning of the talks.

    He described the signing as "a day of historical significance" and said the move "met the goal" the two countries set during negotiations.

    The two nations formally launched free trade negotiations in December 2004 and concluded the talks in December 2007 following 15 rounds.

    According to the agreement, all goods exported from China to New Zealand will be tariff free from 2016, while tariffs on most New Zealand exports to China will be eliminated from 2019.

    Beyond trade in goods, the agreement covers the services sector, ranging from banking, environment, education and entertainment, to construction and transport.

    The FTA called for up to 1,800 Chinese people to enter New Zealand each year to work in areas such as traditional Chinese medicine, language teaching, Chinese martial arts training, tourism, auditing and food service.

    The agreement would also sets up mechanisms for investment promotion and corporations in customs, quality inspection and quarantine, and intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.

    "The agreement will push forward bilateral comprehensive ties of cooperation to a higher level, open up new opportunities in trade and investment, and help both countries develop a more open, stable and competitive business environment," said Wang Xinpei, the Ministry of Commerce spokesman.

    The pact not only facilitated the access of enterprises looking to the markets of China and New Zealand but also provided consumers with cheaper and better products and services, he added.

    The deal came after three years of negotiation as the bilateral trade expanded year on year by 26 percent to 3.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2007.

    The agreement with China is the largest for New Zealand since the Closer Economic Agreement with Australia was signed in 1983.

    New Zealand is also the first developed country to recognize China's full market economy status.

    Clark called the pact "a very significant achievement for New Zealand".

    "The signing of this agreement is a very significant achievement for New Zealand. It opens up new opportunities for businesses looking to engage with, or grow their existing links with, China," she said in a statement.

    Experts explained the significance of this agreement from the perspective of bilateral relations, specifically economic and trade areas.

    "From a point of view of lasting political and economic relations, New Zealand has recognized the importance of China, a large developing country. Both sides have recognized the mutual economic and trade complementarity and common interest," said Zhang Hanlin, president of the WTO Research Institute under the University of International Business and Economics.

    Mei Xinyu, an analyst with a research institute under the Ministry of Commerce, added China would get more fair access to the New Zealand market and more guaranteed supply of raw materials.

    "New Zealand consumers will get Chinese goods at a further lower price and such products as the agricultural and livestock products of New Zealand will get a larger share in the fast-growing and broad Chinese market."

    Free trade with China would also help New Zealand to merge with the development of East Asia, a process in which China would play a crucial role, said Han Feng, deputy director of Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

    To date, China had signed six free trade agreements with trading partners that included Chile and Pakistan. Negotiations were continuing with Peru, Australia, Iceland and other nations.

    Clark arrived here on Sunday for an official visit to China as a guest of Wen. She was accompanied by a 150 member trade delegation.

Chinese Premier says free trade deal with New Zealand of great significance

    BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Monday the free trade agreement signed between China and New Zealand was of importance and profound significance.

    Wen told New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in their talks that the signing of the free trade accord "explored broad prospects for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries". He added the China-New Zealand ties were faced with important new development opportunity. Full story

New Zealand exporters welcome free trade deal with China

    WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand exporters on Monday welcomed the historic Free Trade Agreement with China, praising its terms and forecasting soaring sales in the world's fastest-growing economy, New Zealand media reported.

    China and New Zealand signed the FTA in Beijing on Monday. It is the first comprehensive FTA China signed with a developed country. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark witnessed the signing ceremony. Full story

Interview: Clark says China-NZ FTA "significant achievement"

    WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the New-Zealand Free Trade Agreement provided a new platform for growing business and investment links with China, describing the signing as "a very significant achievement."

    In a written interview with Xinhua, Clark said the New Zealand-China ties have been in very good health since the two countries established full diplomatic relations in 1972. Both governments have worked to increase dialogue on a range of important regional and international issues. Full story

NZ PM: China-New Zealand FTA to promote bilateral relations 

    WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between New Zealand and China will promote the bilateral relations between the two countries, said New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark on Monday.

    Clark witnessed the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and China in Beijing on Monday with her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao. Full story

China-New Zealand FTA to boost all-round development of trade ties

    WELLINGTON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The China-New Zealand free trade agreement, to be singed in Beijing on Monday, will boost bilateral complementary and mutually beneficial trade ties, and enrich the content of "China-New Zealand comprehensive cooperative relations for mutual benefits and win-win situation in the 21st century.

    New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who pays a three-day official visit to China on Sunday, will witness the signing of FTA with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao. A 150-member New Zealand trade delegation is heading for Beijing to attend the ceremony and seek business opportunities. Full story