WELLINGTON, June 15 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that China, with its vast market potential, is committed to unswervingly expanding high-level opening-up, and will continue to create a first-class business environment and support foreign enterprises in achieving better and greater development in China.
Li made the remarks when visiting the headquarters of New Zealand's dairy company Fonterra in Auckland with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during his official visit to the country.
During their visit to the company in the morning, the two leaders were briefed on the company's business operations and development in China. They toured an exhibition of products and watched a demonstration of the manufacturing process.
For over 40 years, Fonterra has been operating and continuously expanding its business in China, and that is quite a vivid example of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, Li said.
There is vast potential for collaboration in areas such as green development for the two countries, and China welcomes Fonterra and other New Zealand enterprises to continue to seize such opportunities, Li said.
The two leaders also visited New Zealand's agricultural technology exhibition together.
Agriculture has always been an active area of China-New Zealand economic and trade cooperation, Li said, expressing the hope that the two sides will well implement the strategic plan signed last year on upgrading the level of bilateral agricultural cooperation, actively carry out trade in agricultural products, strengthen exchanges in agricultural technology and achieve more cooperation results.
On Friday morning, Li visited the China-New Zealand Belt-and-Road Joint Laboratory on Kiwifruit in Auckland. After listening to an introduction by the lab leader, Li said that the laboratories in China and New Zealand complement each other's strengths and collaborate effectively.
Through the empowerment of science and technology, the laboratories provide support for further improvement and upgrading of the kiwifruit industry in both countries, and add momentum to the development of the kiwifruit industry in the Belt and Road countries, said Li.
The joint laboratory is a successful example of China-New Zealand cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Li said, calling on both sides to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as technological innovation to contribute to the development of China, New Zealand, and the world.
