New Zealand is to open a new diplomatic post in western China and expand the education staff in the three existing posts in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced Monday.
The exact location of the new post was not identified by Key who held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia on Sunday.
The new consulate-general in western China and the upgrading of New Zealand's diplomatic presence in China reflected the increasing importance of the relationship between the two countries, Key said in a statement from his office.
"These decisions reflect the range and growth of New Zealand political, trade, tourism and education interests in China and will support their further development," said Key.
It was the first formal bilateral meeting between Key and Xi since Xi was officially elected President last month.
They discussed a wide range of topics and reconfirmed the target of doubling two-way goods trade between China and New Zealand by 2015, said Key.
Key and then Premier Wen Jiabao set the target of doubling two- way goods trade to 20 billion NZ dollars (16.82 billion NZ dollars) by 2015 when Key visited China in 2010.
"Businesses are on track to achieve this, and my meeting with President Xi provided an opportunity to reconfirm that target," said Key.
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