John Key to visit China, attend East Asia Summit

Prime Minister John Key will attend the East Asia Summit in Thailand on April 11 and 12 and then visit China, it was announced today.

Mr Key will join leaders from the 10 Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries at the summit. Also attending will be the leaders of China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, India and Australia.

Asean member nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mr Key said the summit would discuss the global economic crisis and would also be an opportunity to build on the Asean, Australia New Zealand free trade agreement signed last month.

Between April 14 and 18 Mr Key will visit China to meet leaders including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Both meetings will take place in Beijing, before Mr Key travels to Shanghai and then to Boao.

"China is New Zealand's third largest trading partner and the visit is an opportunity to reinforce our shared economic interests," Mr Key said.

"It is also a chance to build on the New Zealand-China free trade agreement, particularly in the areas of tourism, aviation, dairy and agriculture, and education."

Mr Key will open the New Zealand Central Concept Centre in Shanghai.

The centre fosters business contacts and develops New Zealand business in China.

Mr Key will also attend China's Boao Forum and speak at Peking University on Asia's role in recovering from the global economic crisis.

He will be joined in China by Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong and a small group of New Zealand business leaders.

- NZPA