Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit New Zealand this week – the first visit by such a high ranked Chinese government representative since 2017.

Luxon announced the visit at his post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon.

He also announced he will travel to Japan on Sunday for a four-day visit aimed at boosting trade and having talks on regional security issues with Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

Luxon addressed media at his post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon, which is being livestreamed at the top of this article.

He said Premier Li’s visit was an opportunity to discuss areas of cooperation and the trade relationship.

“New Zealand and China engage where we have shared interests, and we speak frankly and constructively with each other where we have differences. Our relationship is significant, complex, and resilient,” Luxon said.

“The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on key issues that matter to New Zealand.”

China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner – two-way trade totalled almost $38 billion last year.

“I am confident that trade with China will continue to grow, supporting the Government’s goal to double the value of exports in the next decade.”

As well as a ceremonial welcome, bilateral talks and an official dinner in Wellington, Li will have engagements in Auckland focusing on business, agri-tech, education, and people-to-people connections.

The last visit by a Chinese Premier was in 2017 when Li Keqiang came to meet with former PM Sir John Key. China’s President Xi Jinping last visited in 2014.

On his trip to Japan, Luxon will take a business delegation to Japan but said it was also an important and natural strategic partner in an increasingly contested world.

“I’m looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and sharing perspectives on global and regional issues, as well as agreeing some concrete ways New Zealand and Japan can step up our cooperation in relation to defence and security.”

Japan is considering joining the Aukus security agreement with Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States while New Zealand is also considering whether to sign up for pillar 2 of the arrangement.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Jason Dorday

That is also likely to come up in Luxon’s talks with Premier Li, China has made its view against the Aukus agreement clear.

Luxon said he will take a senior business delegation with him to Japan to promote trade as well as pitching New Zealand as an attractive destination for Japanese investors, tourists and students.

Japan was the world’s fourth largest economy and New Zealand’s fourth largest export destination.

“Our trade relationship is a key plank to economic success. We are a small, geographically isolated country that relies on exporting our goods to the world.

“If we are to maximise our economic growth, we will need to continue to strengthen international relationships to meet our ambitious target of doubling the value of our exports in the next ten years.”

Luxon will be accompanied by his wife Amanda Luxon and Minister for Trade Todd McClay.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaking with workers on a Fletcher development site in Fiji. Photo / Adam Pearse

It follows Luxon’s trip to Fiji and Niue last week, and an April visit to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Luxon fronted media today after touching down in New Zealand following his first trip to the Pacific.

On the visit with Premier Li, Luxon said a series of announcements would follow, and that it would be good for business in New Zealand.

He said this week would see a lot more in the space of trade engagement.

Christopher Luxon to raise China’s human rights record with Premier Li

On China’s human rights record, Luxon said he planned to raise this with the premier.

“I’ll be raising all areas of difference we have with China.”

On trade with China, Luxon said “we want to expand trade everywhere” because one in four jobs were tied to trade.

He expected trade between New Zealand and China to grow.

On trade relationships, Luxon said changes had happened – the future of New Zealand’s trade depended on the value of our exports.

There was a renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

Luxon said “we are out there engaging”, adding that Judith Collins and Winston Peters were both on overseas engagement trips.

On China’s militarisation, Luxon said there were a “range of topics” that would be discussed. He said his focus was “peace and stability” in the Indo-Pacific region.

Luxon said China and New Zealand would “cooperate where we have common interests”, but the two countries had different cultures and political systems.

“This is a long standing relationship,” he said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Trade Minister Todd McClay during today's post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

On Aukus ahead of the meeting with China, Luxon said New Zealand’s position would remain the same as it had in previous meeting.

“We are going to work to the pace we need to,” he said, regarding New Zealand and pillar two.

Luxon said as a small country, New Zealand relied on trade and we wanted to trade with as many people as we could.

Many of these countries had different political systems or cultural backgrounds.

On the 501 deportations, and Australia’s recent change in policy, Luxon said the Government would continue to monitor the situation.

Independent investigation launched into alleged misuse of Census data by Te Pāti Māori

On the allegations surrounding Te Pāti Māori, Luxon said the allegations were serious, going to the heart of trust in our democratic processes.

The Public Service Commission would undertake an independent enquiry.

Luxon encouraged anyone to come forward with any information they had around the allegations, either to the police or Privacy Commissioner.

The review would be powered by public service legislation.

Luxon was not sure when the enquiry was expected to report back.

Luxon returns from trip to Pacific

Luxon was in the Pacific this past week meeting with leaders in Fiji and Niue. During his visit, he announced almost $21 million in funding for a solar farm project to help Niue’s transition to renewable power generation.

He also announced a $2 billion trade target with Fiji by 2030 and the removal of a transit visa implemented after Fiji’s 2006 coup that applied to Fijian nationals, which Luxon deemed a “major irritant”.

Luxon also commented on the allegations surrounding Te Pāti Māori while in Niue, calling them “pretty serious”. An investigation by Stats NZ into alleged misuse of Census data is under way. Te Pāti Māori has described the claims as “baseless and simply untrue”.

While Luxon was out of the country, the Electoral Commission referred one of his MPs, David MacLeod, to the police over a failure to report $178,394 of candidate donations. Luxon had already stood MacLeod down from his select committee roles after the discovery.

During the trip, Luxon also told reporters he regretted Australia’s stance to harden its 501s deportation policy, an issue that has caused tension between the two countries after successive New Zealand prime ministers criticised Australia for deporting people born in New Zealand but who had lived in Australia for most of their lives.

Speaking from Fiji, Luxon said Australia was within its rights to make its own rules but he was disappointed by the move.