Top Chinese diplomat meets former New Zealand PM

BEIJING -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with John Key, former prime minister of New Zealand, in Beijing on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and New Zealand are fully in line with the interests of the country and people of New Zealand, and the sustained and steady development of bilateral relations had also injected stability into the region.

China is willing to establish good working relations with the new government of New Zealand, strengthen high-level exchanges, jointly open a new chapter in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and push for new achievements in cooperation, said Wang.

John Key expressed his belief that the new government of New Zealand will continue to attach great importance to relations with China, adhere to the one-China policy and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

Key said he was willing to make efforts to promote the better development of New Zealand-China relations.