New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins emphasized on Friday the need to maintain relations with Beijing despite the difficulties of some topics.
"A strong, mature, and complex relationship means we will have those tough conversations ... but I think it's better to be talking than not," Hipkins said at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.
Hopking has recognized in the past the importance of China to the country's economy, with China accounting for a quarter of all exports and the second-largest source of tourists before COVID-19.