China New Zealand Photo:VCG

At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon will pay an official visit to China from June 17 to 20, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Friday. Chinese experts reached by the Global Times said that Luxon's first visit to China since taking office in 2023 is aimed at strengthening cooperation with China, as rising global uncertainties have made such engagement increasingly important.

When asked about China's expectations for Luxon's upcoming visit to China, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that this will be Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's first visit to China after he took office. The visit will be taking place just as the two countries enter the second decade of their comprehensive strategic partnership.  

During his visit, Chinese leaders will meet and hold talks with Luxon to have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, Lin noted.

Lin emphasized that in a complex and rapidly changing world, China stands ready to work with New Zealand to step up strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, consolidate traditional friendship, jointly address challenges, and promote the building of a bilateral relationship featuring mutual respect, inclusiveness, focusing on cooperation and common development so as to deliver greater benefits to our two peoples.

"There are several reasons behind Luxon's visit. Since taking office, he has expressed a desire to visit China, but political constraints within his three-party coalition delayed the trip. Now, with the timing more favorable and global uncertainties rising, strengthening cooperation with China has become even more important," Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Chen noted that New Zealand is an export-driven economy, and maintaining strong external links is vital. With US trade protectionism and sweeping tariffs impacting countries like Australia and New Zealand, China is naturally becoming an important partner for stability and new opportunities.

The current domestic and global environment is challenging. High-level exchanges like this visit are needed to foster dialogue and help recalibrate bilateral relations, said Ning Tuanhui, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

Education and tourism are key sectors for New Zealand - attracting more Chinese students and tourists is vital, especially as higher education exports remain a major industry and tourism is still recovering post-pandemic. With economic growth under pressure and recession risks looming, Luxon may hope this visit will help strengthen China-New Zealand ties and create new opportunities for the economy, the expert said.

A statement released by the New Zealand government on Friday said Luxon "will be joined in Shanghai and Beijing with a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders." 

The release cited Luxon as saying that "China is New Zealand's largest trading partner and a vital part of our economic story," and "The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on issues that matter to New Zealand."

Luxon wrote on X on Friday that his visit to China "will focus on growing trade, which was worth over $38 billion last year, as well as strengthening education and tourism links, and maximising opportunities for New Zealand businesses."

"Beyond traditional trade, both sides are now looking to deepen cooperation in areas such as clean energy, the green economy, and financial services — sectors with great potential for future collaboration," Chen said.

"Moreover, uncertainty surrounding the AUKUS agreement is another key backdrop. With shifting US and Australian policies, New Zealand is reassessing its strategic options. Luxon's visit is part of an effort to seek and shape new stability," the expert said.

A report from Radio New Zealand on Thursday noted that confirmation of Luxon's visit comes a week after an open letter signed by a group of prominent former politicians, including two former prime ministers and an ex-governor of the Reserve Bank, questioned the coalition's "adversarial" stance toward China. 

They urged Luxon to "make it clear at the highest level that New Zealand retains its bipartisan commitment to its strategic partnership with China in the interests of a peaceful and prosperous region and world" when he makes his trip to Beijing, according to the report. 

"The open letter shows that New Zealand has long had a clear-sighted understanding of China, but this has faced disruption and interference in recent years," said Chen, noting that the letter also responds to emerging tensions and highlights the challenge of balancing ties with both China and the US -- an area where "New Zealand has so far prioritized its own national interests."

For Luxon, maintaining this stability also supports his political prospects, social stability, and economic growth, said Chen.