China has offered New Zealanders visa-free travel and stands ready to offer infrastructure funding after bilateral talks in Wellington.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang landed in the New Zealand capital on Thursday to begin a trade-focused three-day visit before continuing his diplomatic mission in Australia.
Mr Li is the second-highest-ranking politician in China, behind only President Xi Jinping, and a member of the innermost circle of the Chinese Communist Party: the Politburo Standing Committee.
In Wellington, he met with Prime Minister Chris Luxon, citing Chinese poetry to describe the strength of the New Zealand-China relationship.
"Good friends feel close to each other even when they are far apart," he said.
"Though separated by the vast ocean, China and New Zealand enjoy a long history of friendly interactions, and our peoples have forged a bond of friendship based on mutual understanding."
NZ was the first developed country to sign a free trade deal with China, a key element of what the countries call a "relationship of firsts".
"We can use the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion on bilateral relations and issues of shared interest, deepen exchanges and co-operation in various fields, and upgrade the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership," Mr Li said.
Speaking after the bilateral meeting at a joint press conference - at which neither leader took questions - Mr Li said China "has extended unilateral visa-free treatment to New Zealand".
The travel offer is believed to be for visits of up to 15 days, replicating China's relaxation to a handful of nations earlier this year.
Mr Li also said NZ would be the country of honour at a Shanghai trade expo later this year, and that China stood ready to increase infrastructure investment in NZ.
Mr Luxon, at a solo press conference, said he was "country-agnostic" on foreign investment as long as it passed a national interest test.
"We know we have a big infrastructure deficit," he said.
"We know that foreign capital will be important for us to build that infrastructure out."
Export growth is at the centre of Mr Luxon's economic agenda as he seeks to build trade with China, already New Zealand's largest trade partner by a distance.
"At a time when many parts of the global economy are struggling, it is vital that we continue to examine what can be done to make it easier to trade for the benefit of both countries," Mr Luxon said.
"From innovative agri-tech and high-quality food to creative industries, world-class tourism and education, New Zealand certainly has a lot to offer China."
The two countries shared two-way trade worth $NZ38 billion ($A35 billion) in 2023.
However, services trade has lagged since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Worth $NZ3.4 billion ($A3.2 billion) in 2018, it dropped to less than one a billion in 2022 before rebounding to $NZ1.6 billion ($A1.5 billion) in 2023.
China is sending fewer tourists and international students to NZ than before the mass border closures that reset those industries.
Mr Li received traditional and military welcomes at Government House, the Wellington home of the governor-general, complete with a spirited Maori haka, before heading inside for talks.
It was not all roses, with NZ tabling a wide range of concerns and differences including Chinese spying and interference, cyber-attacks, regional aggression, and human rights transgressions.
Asked whether the discussion focused more on differences or shared interests, Mr Luxon said the split was "probably about 50-50".
He twice declined to say whether NZ's interest in joining the US-led military tie-up AUKUS was discussed, before confirming it was a topic of debate without elaborating.
"I'm not going through a blow-by-blow," he said.
Outside the gathering, protesters decrying China's treatment of Falun Gong and supporters of the government duelled for space to display banners on nearby roads and outside a Wellington hotel.
Supporters' large signs read "Warmly Welcome Premier Li's Visit to NZ" and "China-New Zealand Win-Win Co-operation For People", echoing the language used in Mr Li's statement.
