Six months after New Zealand Prime Minister John Key took office in 2008, he was dining in Beijing's Great Hall of the People with the Chinese Communist Party leadership. A free-trade agreement had been signed just months earlier and, in a jubilant mood, then-Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Key that Chinese-New Zealand relations were at their "best in history."
A decade later, it has taken New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern nearly 18 months in office to visit China. As she prepares to finally touch down in Beijing on Sunday to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, relations between the two nations are looking far more complicated.
A decade later, it has taken New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern nearly 18 months in office to visit China. As she prepares to finally touch down in Beijing on Sunday to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, relations between the two nations are looking far more complicated.
