Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed satisfaction on
Saturday over the smooth development of relations between China and
New Zealand when meeting with New Zealand Governor-General Dame
Silvia Cartwright.
During the meeting, Hu said that the China-New Zealand relations
have made progress in recent years, with frequent top-level
exchanges of visits and enhanced cooperation in the fields of trade
and economic relations, education, tourism, and science and
technology.
"Reviewing the development of bilateral ties since the two
countries established diplomatic relations 31 years ago, we found
that the important foundation and guidelines for our relations are
mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and seeking common
ground while reserving differences so as to achieve common
development," Hu said.
China's new leadership has attached great importance to the
China-New Zealand relations and hopes to further promote the
bilateral ties, he said.
The Chinese president believed that through his visit both sides
would deepen mutual understanding and expand common ground with a
view to elevating their friendly cooperation of mutual benefit to a
higher level.
Cartwright said the Chinese culture brought to the country by
Chinese immigrants since the early 19th century has become an
important part of the social culture and daily life of New
Zealand.
Over the past 31 years since the two countries forged diplomatic
ties, the fields of their cooperation have been expanding, said the
governor-general, adding that New Zealand is willing to jointly
work with China to further develop the bilateral relations as well
as the friendship between the two peoples.
President Hu arrived Wellington Saturday afternoon for a
three-day state visit after touring Australia and Thailand, where
he attended the informal Economic Leaders' Meeting of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2003)