New Zealand FM to visit China, Mongolia

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to China, Mongolia and China's Hong Kong this week for a series of bilateral meetings.

"This visit, which has been planned for some time, will enable me to update authorities on the response to recent meat and dairy issues," McCully said in a statement released on Sunday.

In China, McCully will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and State Councillor Yang Jiechi to discuss a wide range of issues.

"Our relationship with China is much broader than trade. We are working closely together on a range of issues, including in the Pacific where China is an increasingly important player," McCully said.

"Te Mato Vai, the 60 million NZ dollar water partnership between New Zealand, China and the Cook Islands, is the first of its kind and a blueprint for future development cooperation in the region," he added.

McCully will also make his first visit to Mongolia where he will meet President Elbegdorj Tsakhia and Foreign Minister Bold Luvsanvandan to discuss possible cooperation in agriculture and education.

In China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, McCully will meet local government officials and members of the business community.