New Zealand’s government has signed two cooperation agreements with China aimed at strengthening ties in the fisheries and international development, particularly in the Pacific region.
The deals were signed in Wellington by Foreign Minister Murray MCully and the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who was visiting the country.
Fisheries are an important part of many Pacific economies. New Zealand and China are committed to protecting sustainable fish stocks in the Pacific region, and together support efforts to combat illegal unreported and unregulated fishing, pointed out Minister McCully.
In the minister’s view, the new deal on international development will make it possible for the two nations to work together in order to identify a further development cooperation project in the Pacific, building on their existing cooperation with the Te Mato Vai project in the Cook Islands.
Apart from the two deals, New Zealand and China will begin upgrade talks on their free trade agreement (FTA) on April 25, as announced Prime Minister Bill English.
The Prime Minister stressed that New Zealand’s focus would be on raising some of the safeguard’ levels set in the original agreement in 2008.
Further to discussions on the NZ-China FTA, English said the parties discussed the RCEP regional trade agreement, which he indicated had hit an impasse as New Zealand sought to keep negotiations commercially relevant and meaningful.
There’s always a temptation with trade agreements just to agree on whatever. New Zealand has a strong focus on higher quality agreements that really do deliver benefits. With RCEP that’s a bit of a challenge, he said.
Both countries also confirmed their commitment to open trade, sustainable development, and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the New Zealander’s Prime Minister added.
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