New Zealand is willing to strengthen its co-operation with China in international affairs, visiting New Zealand Governor-General Michael Hardie Boys said Thursday during his meeting with President Jiang Zemin.

Jiang said that although China and New Zealand are far away geographically, the friendship between the two peoples can be traced back a long way.

The bilateral relations between China and New Zealand have witnessed smooth development with frequent exchanges of visits and contacts since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, Jiang said.

According to Chinese customs statistics, the volume of trade between the two countries in 1999 totalled US$824 million, a 20.3 percent increase compared with the same period of the previous year.

Chinese exports increased by 24.7 percent and had a total value of US$342 million. Imports were valued at US$481 million, an increase of 17.4 percent from the previous year.

By the end of December 1999, the number of projects being financially supported by New Zealand in China totalled 471. The amount promised in contracts was US$338 million, and the actual investment used reached US$179 million.

Nearly 20 Chinese trading entities and manufacturing enterprises have been established in New Zealand, involving investments of nearly US$800 million.Jiang stressed that the co-operation between China and New Zealand is not only in the interests of the two nations, but also benefits the stability and development in the Asia Pacific region and the world as a whole.

The world is still not stable, although the international situation has been becoming more relaxed, Jiang said, noting that China is willing to make joint efforts with New Zealand to promote the peace and stability of the Asia Pacific region and the world.

Calling New Zealand a small but responsible country, Hardie Boys said that his country respects the roles of the United Nations and other international organizations.

He said New Zealand highly valued its relationship with China, noting that his country expects that China will enter the World Trade Organization soon.

He also said that New Zealand wishes to expand co-operation with China in international affairs.Hardie Boys arrived Thursday morning at the start of his seven-day state visit to China as a guest of President Jiang.

The visit, the first ever state visit to China by a governor-general of New Zealand, follows the visit by President Jiang to New Zealand in September last year.

(China Daily 12/01/2000)