New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff said November 29 in Wellington that his government "is committed to developing" relationship with China further and at all levels.

Goff made the remarks when he announced in a government press release that John McKinnon will be New Zealand's next ambassador to China.

"Our relationship with China is critical for New Zealand both in diplomatic and economic terms," the minister said.

He added Sino-New Zealand relationship is "broad-ranging and dynamic", and the past year has seen high level visits in both directions.

"Such visits are a measure of our healthy relationship and offer opportunities for further policy dialogue," Goff said.

New Zealand's economic relationship with China, he added, "is moving from strength to strength" and New Zealand "looks forward to China's imminent accession to the World Trade Organization, which will create a new context for trade and investment relationships."

The minister said Sino-New Zealand education and tourism developments promise rapid growth, and will help cement ties at the people to people level.

McKinnon is a career diplomat, speaks Chinese, and has previously been posted in Beijing. He was New Zealand's deputy representative in New York during New Zealand's term on the United Nations Security Council in the mid-1990s. He has also served in Washington and Canberra.

McKinnon will replaces Peter Adams in January as New Zealand ambassador to China.

China is New Zealand's fifth largest trading partner. Two way trade was nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars during the year from July 1999 to June 2000.

(People's Daily 11/29/2000)